When It Rains
by kaineko
Summary: YAOI GxV. Everyone has a past. And in the world of DBZ it always seems to come back to haunt them. Unresolved issues from the past collide with the present to have dire consequences for everyone involved. Lemon, lang, rape, etc.
1. When It Rains Prologue

Be forewarned: The first chapter of this fic is really dark.  You'll find all sorts of nasty topics…rape, murder, arson, and just all around sadistic-ness (is that a word?). Anyway the story is yaoi, all the way, even though the prologue may lead you to believe otherwise. Oh yeah…any anime characters referenced in this story belong to their respective owner…not me. So don't sue.

  
**When it Rains****  
****By: Kaineko****  
  
**

  
**Prologue**  
  
A mysterious figure clad from head-to-toe in black, lurked through the darkened house heading toward the bedroom of its only occupant. He didn't have anything personal against the beautiful young woman that lived there, but she was an obstacle to his goal. He'd learned the hard way over the years that the only way to deal with an obstacle was to remove it permanently…by force if necessary. The house was eerily still, only the normal nocturnal sounds of owls and crickets could be heard. He was stealthy, like a well-trained ninja, and he knew his movements went completely undetected even by the flimsy alarm system that the silly woman had installed. He was too clever to be caught by such a crude device, and his craftiness had served him well as he dismantled the system. Of course, the police would never find any evidence to support its tampering. He was just too good. But he really didn't care about the alarm one way or the other. All he cared about was that when he left the house she was dead.  
  
As he passed the many pictures of the young woman with her family and friends, hanging in the hall, he almost felt remorseful…Almost. No, he had a job to do, and such meaningless emotions were of no use to him now.  
  
He approached the bedroom door, and vaguely wondered why someone that lived alone would sleep with the door closed. Ah well…no time for trivia. He pushed the door open quietly and his eyes immediately fell on the bed where his intended victim lay slumbering…blissfully ignorant that her demise was at hand. As a general rule, murderers are cruel and unmerciful…that's why they're murderers. But occasionally you'd find a killer that would mercifully grant a quick, painless death to their victims. Unfortunately for this woman…he wasn't one of them.  
  
He stalked over to the bed, snatching the covers from her body, startling her awake. He was pleased to find that she slept in relatively few clothes…a thin nightgown and cotton panties. This would be so much more enjoyable than he'd anticipated. She screamed, grabbing the lamp off the night table and throwing it at him. `At least she's resourceful,' he thought as he ducked the flying object effortlessly. As he heard it crash into the wall behind him, he pounced on top of the struggling woman. It would be a waste not to have a little fun before killing her. Besides, he'd been extremely frustrated lately, and he needed someone to take it out on. This afforded him the perfect opportunity.  
  
He restrained her hands easily enough. She was so much smaller and weaker than him, his body weight effectively pinning her body to the mattress. He didn't bother to try and quiet her screams. She lived in a very secluded house outside the city, and no one would hear her anyway. He grabbed the front of her gown, and with one swift movement, tore the material away from her body. He grabbed the waistband of her panties and soon they went the way of the gown leaving her laying naked and struggling under her assailant.   
  
He ran his hand down her body, enjoying the feel of the trembles he elicited with every touch. This was going to be really fun. She was young and beautiful…the perfect model of femininity. But it wasn't the unique feeling of a woman's heat that he craved. Rather it was what she had in common with a man that made her attractive. He wanted to feel the tightness that could only be afforded to him by anal penetration. But more than just that, he wanted to feel her trembling in pain and fear; feel her struggling to try and dislodge his member from within her body; hear her sob and beg him to stop. That's where his thrills came from.  
  
The anonymous man backhanded her with brutal force…dazing her long enough to remove his own clothes and climb back on her. He flipped her over so she lay on her stomach and parted her legs, nuzzling his body between them. One hand rested on her back, pinning her hands and body down to the bed. With his free hand, he positioned himself at her entrance and with one swift thrust he was seated deep inside her body. Her agonizing screams filled the room, seemingly reverberating from the walls and ceiling. They were like sweet music to his ears and he kept thrusting within her body, eliciting more tortured screams. He could feel her warm blood lubricating the passage and seeping out onto his body. It ran in rivulets down his legs, and onto the sheets below.  
  
After long agonizing moments of increasingly powerful thrusts, he decided it was time to finish what he came to do in the first place. He flipped her over onto her back and thrust himself back into her tight, blood-slick passage. He wanted to see the fear her eyes held as he ended the charade. He released her pinned hands and slid his own around her neck, ignoring the sting of her small fists as they collided ineffectually with his body in a futile attempt to save her life. His hands tightened, cutting off the air she so desperately needed to live, and silencing her cries of protest. He was almost disappointed that he could no longer hear her screams. But this was the way it had to be. She began clawing desperately at the hands that were effectively choking the life from her battered body. Her eyes held nothing but fear and pleading.  
  
As he quickened the pace of his thrusts, he tightened his grip around her slender neck. Her once lovely face was turning gradually deeper shades of blue then purple as she was asphyxiated. As her bloodshot eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body went slack, her sadistic tormentor thrust one final time. Throwing his head back and groaning in blissful glee, he emptied his seed into her body. He collapsed on top of her and lay there for a few moments panting; exhilaration and exhaustion warring within his hazy mind. After he'd calmed down enough to think straight, he dislodged himself from her sticky, lifeless body. Grabbing the sheet, he wiped her blood from his abdomen and pelvis, before putting his clothes back on. He gave a cursory glance to the woman laying motionless on the bed. He had really enjoyed himself, but it still wasn't enough. He guessed he could have made it last longer, but it was going to be daylight soon and he had to be finished with his objective and gone by then. Going to the living room, he retrieved a few bottles of liquor he'd noticed on the bar when he entered, and took them back into the bedroom. He liberally doused the woman's body and her bedroom with the substance then with one last look in her direction, he set her on fire. All evidence would be consumed within the flames, and he'd never be implicated in her murder. As he walked out of the inferno, his attention was drawn to a ring of keys and a small piece of plastic, all imprinted with the Capsule Corp. logo. He grabbed them from the dresser and quickly exited from the burning house, disappearing into the night.  
  
End 1/?  
  
kaineko@hotmail.com  
Inspiration comes from comments, criticism, and feedback in general…oh and hot naked Saiyans romping around shamelessly.


	2. When It Rains 01

No real warnings in this chapter but any anime characters referenced in this story belong to their respective owner…not me. So don't sue. When it Rains  
By: Kaineko  
  
Chapter 01 _~~Two months later.~~_

Bulma sat at her large mahogany desk.She didn't come to the office everyday, preferring to work in her lab at home.But she did make it in at least twice a week to take care of things that she couldn't do from the lab.Lately, she had been in more often, since her secretary of 13 years had been brutally murdered.At first it had appeared that Julie died as the result of a house fire, but later investigation found ruled her cause of death as asphyxiation.The fire department had ruled the fire as arson after finding evidence of the use of an accelerant.Unfortunately they were still completely baffled by the efficiency in which the murderer had committed the act and disappeared.They couldn't find any other clues such as forced entry or signs of a struggle.It was almost as if the murderer had disappeared. 

Julie had been the best assistant she'd ever had.The woman was intelligent, organized, and a hard worker.To top it all off, she had been a genuinely nice person to work with.Bulma had been understandably devastated, not just because she was now without a secretary, but because she had lost someone she considered a friend.Unfortunately the police were left baffled and clueless in finding Julie's murderer. 

Bulma sighed, looking over the paperwork that had piled up.She needed help desperately.She had tried several executive assistant temporary agencies, but none of the people they sent could seem to catch on and fill the role.Many had become so overwhelmed, that they simply never returned.It was difficult supporting the President of a large corporation, like Capsule Corp. and very few were cut out for it.She glanced at her wall clock, 7:36 am.She was in the office early because today, she'd be interviewing potential candidates to take over the position left vacant in the wake of the terrible incident.She had been interviewing people for about 2 weeks, but none of them seemed to fit in any better than the temps had.If only she could find the perfect person.Someone that was intelligent, dedicated, had a good personality, and most of all could keep her busy schedule organized._'That's not asking for too much,'_ she thought. 

*** 

Vegeta returned the gravity to normal, stepping from the gravity room in only his spandex shorts, and a towel draped across his bare shoulders.He made his way into the kitchen, which was arguably his favorite room in the house, and rummaged around for a snack.It was only just past 8 in the morning, but the prince had been training since 4 and he hadn't bothered to have breakfast yet.Listening intently for a few moments, he noticed that the house was eerily quiet, save the steady hum of the refrigerator, and the tick of a nearby clock.He was alone, which didn't surprise him much.He was the only one in the house that didn't have a job or other responsibilities that took him away every morning.Good, he could enjoy his breakfast in peace.He took out several dozen eggs, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms; and decided that today felt like an omelet day. 

Whipping up the meal in record time, the Saiyan sat down to enjoy his food.He was a surprisingly good cook, having spent so much time at home alone with the onna's mother while everyone else was at work or school.He had unwittingly picked up a few skills in cooking and housekeeping.It took him even less time to finish the food and go back to training.As he was heading down the hall, he felt a familiar ki heading toward him.He smirked mischievously and went to the door.Goku landed just as Vegeta opened the door, and greeted the Prince with a cheerful smile. 

"Hey Vegeta.You feel up to a spar?" 

Vegeta smirked even more and said one word, "Always." 

"Where do you want to go?"Asked Goku, not wanting to disturb anyone or destroy anything around CC. 

He didn't say anything.Instead he walked completely from the house, shutting the door behind him and took to the sky.Goku took that as a cue and followed the Ouji.They landed in a clearing only a few miles outside of West City and away from Capsule Corp.There was enough space for the two most powerful beings in the universe to fight without disturbing or destroying the innocents. 

*** 

It was mid-morning and Bulma had already interviewed 2 candidates.She didn't even have to think about them...they were both tremendously ill suited for the job.The first lady presumed to tell Bulma what she felt was wrong with Capsule Corp., and what she would do in Bulma's situation.Really…the nerve of some people.She made it sound as if she could do a better job running CC, than Bulma, and that she'd be doing Capsule Corp a favor by working there.Though Bulma could appreciate someone that was self-assured, there was a very fine line between confidence and cockiness.That lady had crossed the line completely. 

The second lady had shown up 15 minutes late and dressed in something that would have been more appropriate in a nightclub, than an office.The woman had obviously not realized that her boss would be a woman, because she was playing the cheap, easy secretary role to the tee.Bulma had to fight not to shake her head in disgust and show the woman to the door.What's worse is she had accidentally knocked over her coffee on Bulma's desk, ruining some important documents.They had spent 20 minutes just trying to clean up the mess and salvage the paperwork.After that, Bulma had just thanked the woman for coming and showed her to the door without even finishing the interview. 

Bulma gripped her throbbing head, trying to ease the tension in her temples.If she didn't find a qualified, sane person soon, she'd go crazy.She was entirely too busy to take care of the details involved in running a corporation without some help.She made up her mind that the next halfway-qualified person to walk through her door, could have the job.She slammed her palms down on the desk in frustration, and then used them to push herself up.She grabbed her now empty coffee mug and walked to the outer office.Another candidate was coming at 10:30 and she wanted to already be high on caffeine when they arrived.Making her way past the empty desk that Julie normally occupied, she went to the little table set up in the waiting area where the coffee was kept.She was disgruntled to find that it was very much empty.Apparently her last interviewee had used the last of the coffee, and then spilled it all over her desk.'_Figures'_, she thought rummaging around in the cabinet looking for more, only to find that there was none."Damn," she spat, only causing her head to throb more."With Julie gone, the office supplies haven't been reordered.I've got to find someone fast."She left out of her office, mug in hand, and went down the hall to get a pack of coffee from Trunks' office. 

"Morning Hinako...seems my office is out of coffee," she said holding up the empty mug to Trunks secretary."Mind if I borrow some of yours?"Of course she didn't expect the girl to say no, but she'd always believed in treating her employees with respect.It helped promote loyalty and a good work environment."Sure thing Ms. Briefs.Would you like me to make it for you?"The blonde woman said in a cheerful voice.She so reminded Bulma of a smarter, younger version of her mother.She briefly wondered if that's the reason Trunks had hired her."No thanks Hinako.I believe I can manage."At just that moment, Trunks popped his head out of the inner office."Ms. Briefs," he addressed her as was customary while at the office.It sounded a whole lot more professional than 'mom'."I thought I felt your ki...er, I mean heard your voice," he said glancing at his secretary.Bulma smiled, holding up the coffee in her hand."I came to borrow some coffee...seems I've run out and I'm in desperate need of a major caffeine fix."She said jokingly.Trunks nodded, understanding immediately.His mother was interviewing people to replace her assistant. 

"Any luck yet?" 

"Not yet..." she said shaking her head."I think I'll need a miracle in order to find someone half as good as Julie was." 

Trunks nodded..."Maybe you **should** talk to Dende." He chided. 

His mother chuckled."Yeah..." She looked up toward the ceiling, "Dende if you're listening, send me someone that's as good as Julie was…soon"Turning back to her son, with a smile on her face she said, "Let's see if that works, ne Trunks." 

He chuckled a bit."We'll See."Then he walked back into his office. 

"Thanks for the coffee Hinako."Bulma called over her shoulder as she left the office and headed back toward her own. 

*** 

Ian made his way inside the Capsule Corp headquarters building.Hundreds of employees bustled around the main floor, going about their daily routine.A lovely young brunette sitting behind a large desk immediately greeted him.The sign above her head read, 'Visitor Registration'.He walked over to her, pulling out a card. 

"I have a 10:30 appointment with Bulma Briefs." 

She smiled at him."And your name sir?" 

"Ian Mori."He said. 

The receptionist turned to her computer console and scrolled through what appeared to be an appointment listing.After a moment, she placed a small electronic pad, similar to a PDA, on the counter in front of him. 

"Please sign in Mr. Mori." 

He lifted the pen and scribbled his name across the screen.She gave him a small plastic badge with 'visitor' written on it. 

"Wear this security badge on your lapel at all times while inside the CC building.Ms. Briefs' office is on the 27th floor.Once you step off the elevators, follow the signs to her office.Wave the badge in front of the black panel to be granted access to the reception area of her office.She doesn't have a secretary, so she told me to just inform you to take a seat in the reception area and she will greet you when it's time for your appointment." 

Ian nodded showing that he was intently listening to her directions.He clipped the badge onto his lapel and walked in the direction that she had indicated until he came to a row of elevators.He followed her instructions and took the elevator up to the 27th floor.As he stepped off into a large, lushly carpeted hallway, he noticed a gilded brass plaque on the wall read, 'Bulma Briefs, President', with and arrow pointing to the far end of the hall where two large double doors were.Below that it read, 'Trunks Briefs, Vice President', with an arrow pointing toward identical doors in the opposite direction.He walked toward Bulma's office, noting how much quieter this hall was than the main floor.He had yet to see another living soul in the hallways of this floor.He reached the large frosted glass doors, and saw a black pad just like the receptionist had indicated.He waved the badge in front of the small square, and he heard a click signaling that the door was unlocked.As he opened the door and walked into the room, he noted that it was surprisingly devoid of any other people.To the side of a large desk was a giant wooden door that was slightly ajar,with 'Bulma Briefs', engraved on it.Through the small opening, he had a perfect view of her desk inside and noticed that it wasn't occupied.He glanced at his watch, realizing that he was about 15 minutes early._'Maybe she had stepped out for a moment.'_He mused.He took a seat, and figured she'd come back by the time their meeting was about to start.Just as he was sitting, the phone on the receptionist's desk started ringing.It startled him somewhat and he looked around as if expecting someone to appear out of nowhere and answer it.After a few rings, and no one magically appeared, he decided to pick it up and just take a message. 

"Capsule Corporation, Bulma Briefs' office."He said pleasantly. 

A female voice was on the other end."This is Traci Drake with Allied Chemical Corporation's R&D division.I'm calling to confirm a meeting scheduled between Bulma Briefs and Dr. Eito Tashi for 2:30 this afternoon." 

Ian looked around and spotted a message pad.Jotting down the info he told her."I can't confirm the meeting without first speaking with Ms. Briefs; but if you give me your number, I'll have her call you back."She quickly recapped her info and they hung up the phone.Just as he was getting up, he heard the click of the door and in walked Bulma carrying a bag of coffee in one hand and a coffee mug in the other. 

End 2/? 

kaineko@hotmail.com   
Inspiration comes from comments, criticism, and feedback in general…oh and hot naked Saiyans romping around shamelessly. 


	3. When It Rains 02

No real warnings in this chapter but any anime characters referenced in this story belong to their respective owner…not me. So don't sue.****

**When it Rains**

**By: Kaineko**

Chapter 02 

Goku winced as he spit out a mixture of blood and dirt.  If he didn't know better, he'd swear that a few of his teeth had been knocked loose by that last hit.  He blinked several times to clear the grit from his burning, watery eyes.  Through his hazy tears he could barely make out Vegeta floating above him, no doubt waiting for him to attack, thus signaling the resumption of the fight.  Instead he stood there watching the blurry silhouette of the prince intently through the unsettled dust.  He realized that he had been slacking off in the last half hour of their spar.  He should have never been caught by a blast that obvious.  A sense of shame welled up within him, and he wanted to apologize to the Ouji for his less than stellar performance.  It seemed he always had some inherent duty to his prince to give his very best.  And he had started failing miserably.  Truthfully, he knew the reason for his slacking was that he was a bit distracted by hunger to actually put up a worthy fight.  He'd been feeling the tell-tell pains for a while, but his love for a battle against Vegeta and his reluctance to end his physical interaction with the Prince, seemed to sustain him and outweigh the dull ache in his stomach.  It seems that now his base need to consume enormous amounts of food had overtaken even his desire for battle.

As the dust finally settled completely, and his burning eyes became focused, he could see Vegeta clearly.  He started at the way his opponent was looking down at him.  It wasn't with annoyance, like he would have expected, but it was more like the prince was analyzing him.  They both remained still, holding each other's gaze for what seemed like an eternity.  Goku tried to swallow past the thick lump that had formed.  He had to fight the urge to shift nervously under the scrutiny.  Vegeta had a way of seeing through his exterior to his very soul.  It was a place that few people ever got the chance to see and he was certain that he wanted to keep it that way.  He just didn't trust anyone enough to let them see into him, not even his wife of so many years.  There were just too many things about himself that he didn't think anyone else would understand.  He had too many years of practice hiding behind a happy mask and he wasn't ready to be exposed now.  The very thought of someone removing it, especially Vegeta, and viewing Son Goku for what he actually was scared the tall warrior like no enemy ever could.  He was sorely losing his battle to remain calm as he fidgeted nervously.  Intimidation and anxiety fluttered through him under the hawk-like stare, and he abruptly broke eye contact with the Ouji.  He took a moment to compose himself before he signaled for Vegeta to land, thus calling an end to their spar.  

***

Vegeta floated several feet above the ground.  He had just delivered a particularly forceful, but nonetheless obvious ki blast to the other warrior, knocking him from the air to spiral downward into the ground.  He watched through the settling dust particles as Kakarrot pulled himself from an oddly shaped hole in the barren earth.  Vegeta knew that something was off with his fellow Saiyan.  It was especially apparent since he hadn't been able to dodge such an apparent blast.  His mind came up with a million scathing remarks he could say about the man's lack of skill as a fighter or something equally derisive, but he just couldn't bring himself to utter the words.

He narrowed his eyes scrutinizing the golden haired man that became visible as the dust particles finally settled back to the ground.  They had been sparring nonstop for hours and he wasn't anywhere near ready to stop.  Though there were no visible indications, his body was practically tingling with the overwhelming feeling of exhilaration that the other warrior always seemed to give him.  He couldn't understand why, but Kakarrot could make his blood boil with excitement and force him to new heights of battle lust.  He had the uncanny knack of bringing out the extremes in people…either the best, or the worst.  The Saiyan prince was no stranger to either extreme and he often cursed Kakarrot for being the one to affect him in such a way.

Kakarrot wasn't well versed in matters of intellect, but if ever there was something the man wanted to achieve, nothing could stand in his way.  Not even the most ruthless, maniacal tyrants had a snowball's chance in hell of stopping him.  Though many had come close, none had ever succeeded.  He always fought with a dogged determination that Vegeta had seen in no human and relatively few Saiyans.  You had to admire a man that not even death could hold.  Vegeta himself had tried and failed so many times, to bring the indomitable warrior to his knees.  It frustrated him to no end that he would seemingly never surpass the man's undying will and sheer good fortune.

The Ouji caught Kakarrot's gaze, his analysis of the other man never waning.  The earth-raised Saiyan was truly an enigma that Vegeta had secretly been trying to figure out for years.  The first time they battled, the prince had sorely outclassed Kakarrot's strength and skills as a warrior.  Only Kakarrot's freaky luck and his emotional brat had led to Vegeta's defeat.  As if that weren't bad enough, when they met again only about a month or so later on Namek, their roles had completely reversed.  It had taken Vegeta 3 years and a near death experience to even catch up to the other warrior's level of power.  He had never understood the dynamics of Kakarrot's motivation.  The younger warrior seemed to derive strength from helping others, or fighting for others.  His selflessness was so distinctly un-Saiyan, yet it allowed him to tap into his very Saiyan powers.  His emotions were like catalysts for his power.  He seemed to pull them in and fuse them with his intrinsic Saiyan nature to create something more powerful than ever thought possible.  He could always achieve things that the Prince couldn't and he always seemed to be one step ahead of Vegeta.  The Ouji should have been resentful.  And for a long time he had been…bitterly so.  But somewhere over the years, at a point Vegeta couldn't place, his feeling of resentment faltered and was slowly replaced with one of mutual respect and anticipated challenge.  

That caused him to think of his own strength and accomplishments.  As much as he hated to admit it, Kakarrot seemed to be the driving force behind most things that Vegeta achieved…Mainly his ascension to Super Saiyan and beyond.  He sometimes wondered if he had never met Kakarrot, would he have ever attained the powers he currently possessed.  He hated to admit it, but deep down inside he knew that he would probably have never ascended to anywhere near his current level.  He wondered briefly what his life would have been like if he'd never encountered the earth-raised Saiyan.  A shiver ran through his spine at the thought. He'd probably be dead by now…or wishing he were.  Frieza wasn't exactly known for his mercy.  

Looking back with 20/20 hindsight, he realized that he wasn't at all disappointed by the way things had turned out.  This was apparent by the fact that though he could travel anywhere in the universe that he wanted, he chose to stay on Earth.  There really was nothing out there for him.  His arch nemesis was long gone, and thus he was free to live out the rest of his life any way he chose.  Maybe one day he'd get the urge to travel the galaxy, but for now, Earth was his home.  It was the first place that he'd been able to call that since the destruction of Vegetasai.  And he no longer felt guilty for calling it so.  He'd been given a chance for a life where he was free to do his own bidding, and he very much intended to do so.

Vegeta's thoughts returned to the other warrior as he watched Goku fidget nervously, before looking away and signaling for him to land.  He wondered briefly at the nervousness before dismissing the thought completely.  It was obvious that the spar was over, so he landed next to Goku pulling off his bloody gloves that were missing several fingers and allowing his own golden mane to fade black.

"Finished already Kakarrot?  Was I too much for you?"

"Nah…I'm just a bit hungry.  Let's stop for lunch."

"Do you ever think of anything besides your stomach, Baka?"

Goku smiled sheepishly.  "Gomen Vegeta.  I had a really small breakfast this morning.  Chichi was gone when I got up and there wasn't much food in the house.  She must've gone shopping, because I pretty much cleaned out what was left in the pantries."

"Hm…whatever.  I guess we could take a short break.  But after that we resume our spar."  He said, feeling slight hunger pains in his own stomach.  Goku nodded and they both flew back to Capsule Corp to grab a quick lunch.

***

Bulma was a bit startled when she walked into her office and saw a man there she'd never seen before.  He was sitting behind the secretary's desk writing something on a piece of paper.  As he looked up his beautiful crystal blue/green eyes caught her breath, sending her into a daze reminiscent of her teenage years.  An awkward moment of silence filled the air, before she regained her bearings and stepped completely inside.

"May I help you?"  She asked the handsome stranger.

The man stood up smiling warmly and walked around the desk.  Bulma took another moment to completely view this fine specimen of a man.  His smile was warm, friendly and inviting.  His perfectly straight, white teeth seemed to gleam in the sunlight that filtered through the window.  Now that he was standing it was easy to see that he stood well over 6 feet tall, and his perfectly proportionate muscular frame revealed much time spent in a gym.  His dark silky hair fell in short, loose waves perfectly framing his handsome face and giving a startling contrast to the translucency of his eye color.  His creamy tanned skin looked as smooth as that of a newborn baby and glowed with a healthy vibrancy.  He was positively gorgeous, giving new meaning to the term tall, dark, and handsome.  She briefly toyed with the idea that he was one of the models for a new Capsule Corp commercial, but immediately dismissed the thought.  It's not that he couldn't have been one.  It's just that he wouldn't have a reason to be in her office.

Ian immediately recognized his potential employer when she walked into the room.  She was a famous woman after all, and he'd seen her on television and in newspapers many times.

"Ms. Briefs.  I'm Ian Mori."  He said pausing a moment to give her a chance to recall his name.  When she didn't seem to realize who he was, he added, "We have a 10:30 meeting this morning…about the Assistant position."  Realization finally shone on Bulma's face.  She glanced at her clock noting that it was just before 10:30.

"Oh, yes.  It's nice to meet you." She said walking to the small table across the room.   She vaguely wondered what he was doing at her secretary's desk.  As if reading her thoughts he said, "The phone rang and since no one was here to answer it, I took the liberty.  I hope you don't mind."  He said flashing her that oh so charming smile again.

She had to get a hold of herself before she melted into a puddle on the floor.  The man was just that gorgeous.

"Mind...?  Oh not at all."  Bulma was actually rather impressed by his initiative.

"I took a message.  It was Allied Chemical Corporation calling about a 2:30 meeting with Dr. Eito Tashi."

Bulma took the slip of paper that he was holding toward her, broken from his mesmerizing eyes as she rushed over toward the phone.

"Oh I forgot all about that.  I can barely keep my appointments straight without an assistant.  I need to call her back right away, please excuse me."  She said over her shoulder, seemingly all in one breath.

Her back was facing Ian while she confirmed the appointment.  After she hung up, she turned around to face him again.  She'd been so engrossed in her conversation that she hadn't even noticed the strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee until she turned around.  Talk about initiative.  He was only there for an interview and he had already made himself useful.

"Would you like a cup?" he asked holding up an empty mug.

"Hm…" she said a bit startled to find him looking at her again, with that irresistible smile.

"Coffee…would you like me to make you a cup?"

She smiled brightly and nodded.  "Yes, 2 sugars and no cream."

He handed her a steaming cup of coffee and she smiled.  _'So far so good.  This may be the one.'_  She thought.  _'Now lets see what else he has going for him other than good looks and resourcefulness.'_

"Please come into my office so we can talk."

Ian followed Bulma into the lushly furnished executive suite.  The walls of glass shelving and the large plate glass windows gave the room a modern feel, while the solid wood desk and hardwood floors were a more traditional touch.  The two styles blended well creating a very inviting, comfortable environment.

"Have a seat." She said motioning to the plush leather chair that she'd draped her blazer across earlier.

"So Ian…" she said taking her own seat across from him, "…tell me a little about yourself and why you want to work for Capsule Corp."

***

Almost an hour had passed and it was safe to say that this guy was a definite winner.  She flipped through his thick portfolio noting that he was a certified executive assistant, with over 8 years experience, 4 of which were in a technical/scientific environment.  She really couldn't have asked for more.  He proved to be smart, friendly, and he seemed to have his head together.  Maybe Dende had actually been listening she thought.  She'd have to thank her long time friend when she got the chance.

"Well Ian.  You definitely are qualified for the position and I must say that I'm more than impressed with your skill and qualifications.  How soon can you start?"

He smiled brightly.  "Immediately."

"Good because I need someone immediately.  I want you to start tomorrow morning at 8:00.  On your way out, stop by the Human Resources department to fill out some forms."

Ian nodded again and they both stood.

Bulma walked around her desk and shook his hand firmly.  "Welcome to Capsule Corp Ian."

"Thank you Ms. Briefs."

"Bulma…call me Bulma.  I insist."

He nodded, "Thank you Bulma."  He said as she escorted him back out.

Thank Kami…or perhaps Dende.  She finally found someone to fill the vacant position.  He had a lot going for him and was extremely handsome to boot.

_'Damn, now that was a man.  Too bad I don't believe in office romance,' _Bulma thought.  _'Maybe I should have dated him instead of hired him.'_  She smiled at the thought before dismissing it. She was just glad that he was so qualified to fill the position. He was smart, witty, and self-motivated.  All qualities she'd been looking for.

Glancing over at the clock, she noticed it was nearing lunchtime.  She grabbed her crumpled jacket from the back of Ian's chair, frowning slightly at its condition, before heading out the office.  She hated eating in restaurants alone, so she decided to eat at home.  She'd have just enough time to make it there, relax for a while and make it back before her meeting.  On her way out, she stopped in the research lab to arrange to have some new chemical samples delivered to the boardroom.  She'd need them when she returned to headquarters for her meeting with Allied Chemical Corporation.

***

Chichi walked into the East District Bank with a small briefcase in her hand.  She had gotten up extra early that morning because she had some business to take care of.  After signing in she took a seat and waited to speak with a finance advisor.  Only a few minutes had passed when a young woman with long brown hair and overly large eyes approached her.

"Mrs. Son, please come this way." The woman said gesturing toward a section of offices.  Chichi stood, clutching the small attaché case and followed her into the office.  She took a seat across the desk, noting the name plaque with 'Marian Ellis' written in elegant script.

"Can I get you something to drink, Mrs. Son?"  Marian asked, breaking the silence.

Chichi shook her head negatively.  "No thank you.  I have some other business I need to get done this morning, and I don't have a lot of time.  If you don't mind I'd like to just get this over with."  She said opening the case and taking out several documents.

"Of course.  What can I do for you today?"

"I'd like to withdraw all of the money from my current account and move it into a new account.  Here are my current account numbers and identification."  She said passing the documents to Marian.

The advisor gave her a puzzled look before taking the proffered papers.  Though the request wasn't completely unheard of, it was just not an everyday request.  Normally people only did that to hide money, which was no doubt her client's intention.  When the account information finally appeared on the screen, she gasped.

"Is there a problem?"  Chichi asked.

"No Mrs. Son.  But…"

"But what?"  She asked starting to get annoyed by the younger woman's ineptness.

"According to our records, your account balance is over 2,000,000 Zeni." (+)

The account was jointly listed under Goku and Chichi Son.  So logically her client was trying to hide the money from her husband.  Marian felt it was more than a bit amoral to close an account without both owners present, but bank policy didn't require both owners to consent.  She shook her head almost imperceptibly.

"That's correct, and I want it all transferred to a new account."  The iciness in her voice brooked no arguments.  She had other things to do, and she didn't feel like getting into an argument with the bank advisor.  She was well within her rights, since she was listed as a joint owner of the account.  Besides, she had a good reason for what she was doing, but she didn't feel obligated to justify herself to anyone, let alone Marian.  It was really none of the young woman's business anyway.

Noting the disdain in her client's voice, Marian decided to just do what was requested.  "Yes ma'am." She said, beginning the funds transfer process.

*******

Bulma pulled up outside of her mansion.  The building had once been the headquarters for CC as well as her home, but with the company's exponential growth, they had relocated to downtown West City.  They still used the offices for Research and Development of the Cybertronics line and other smaller projects, but all business was handled at the new headquarters.  Bulma of course still retained her private lab at the building, which is where she prefers to work.  Things were so much simpler if she always had proper equipment on hand in case she suddenly had a brainstorm.

She hopped out of the metallic burgundy sports car and encapsulated it before walking up to the building.  The day had turned out pretty good, despite its less than stellar start and she was very excited about her new employee.  She just hoped her 2:30 meeting with the vultures from ACC didn't dampen her mood.  She shook her head at the thought, refusing to allow anything to ruin the way she felt.  Inside the entry hall, she laid her keys and capsule car on the small table and immediately went toward the kitchen.  She entered to be greeted by a familiar sight.  Goku and Vegeta were stuffing their faces with Saiyan abandon.  They were wolfing down everything in sight, like food would be banned tomorrow.

"Hey guys."  She said greeting the two Saiyan warriors.  She only received a grunt from the arrogant prince, though she really hadn't expected more.  Goku, however, paused momentarily in his chewing and looked up.  Smiling around a mouthful of food and pointing to a chair next to him he said, "Hey Bumfa…sif don n jon ufs."

She laughed at his antics, watching as he returned to his food.  Gladly accepting the invitation, she pulled off her jacket and draped it across the back of her chair.  It was way too warm in the house and she made a mental note to have maintenance adjust the cooling system.  Plopping down in the chair she took a couple slices of pizza from one of the few boxes that miraculously still remained untouched.  She glanced around her normally spotless kitchen at all the empty pizza box carcasses that littered the floor.  It's a good thing she arrived when she did, or there wouldn't have been any left.

"So Vegeta…no cooking today?"  She asked.  

It had become a sort of ritual with the two full-blooded Saiyans.  They would spar all morning before coming back to Capsule Corp. to eat.  Normally Vegeta would cook, figuring that to be one skill the other warrior lacked.  It seemed almost laughable to him.  He was in fact the Saiyan prince, and here he was cooking lunch for a low class warrior.  His father would definitely be turning over in his grave.  Though he found the task menial, he still did it.  There really was no other choice.  When Dr. Briefs had retired, he and Mrs. Briefs moved to a house outside the city.  Chichi had vehemently refused saying that it was too much work and she had enough to do as it stood.  And Bulma couldn't cook to save her life.  Surprisingly Vegeta had stepped up to the responsibility and he'd turned out to be an excellent cook.  

When Bulma asked him why he cooked for both of them instead of just sending Goku home he'd said that though the task was beneath him, he'd have to eat regardless of whether Goku joined him or not, and this way they could get back to their sparring quicker.  She'd accepted his answer but always thought it was really because the Ouji was concerned for Goku's well being and that he enjoyed the other man's company.  She was a genius but didn't need to be to figure out that he cared for her friend.

"This was easier."  He grunted in reply to her question.

***

Goku abruptly stopped eating and eyed Bulma after she'd sat down.  He sniffed the air a few times almost choking on a strange cloying odor floating in the air that her movements had stirred.  He frowned slightly, his brow furrowed in concentration.  It was a disturbingly familiar scent…he was sure he'd smelled it somewhere before.  But the more he wracked his brain trying to place it, the more elusive its origins seemed to become.  He was used to Bulma smelling like the various chemicals and other materials she worked around, but this was different.  It had a more organic aroma to it.  Normally he wouldn't have even paid any attention, but this smell was affecting him physically.  He didn't know why, but it made him feel sick and lightheaded.

The scent was faint, like the residual of something she'd come in contact with, but Goku's keen sense of smell and the unseasonably warm climate amplified it.  The pungent odor seemed to float all around him, assaulting his olfactory senses and overwhelming him.  Painful cramps of nausea suddenly wracked his normally steel stomach, which seemed next to impossible.  The food in his mouth had turned acrid, and only made him feel worse.  Frowning disgustedly, he swallowed the last bit of food and pushed his plate away.  He glanced at Vegeta fully expecting the other Saiyan to have a disgusted look on his visage.  But apparently he hadn't noticed it since he hadn't slowed in his food consumption.  Goku felt nauseous and dizzy.  He had to get away from Bulma quickly.  He didn't think anyone would take too kindly to him throwing up right there at the table.  He stood up abruptly, knocking his chair to the floor with a loud bang.  The noise magnified the pounding in his already swimming head and he had to grip the table for balance.  It felt like his throat was closing up and it was getting increasingly difficult to breathe.  '_What the hell is that scent?' _He thought trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.  It felt like it was in his head instead of his chest.  He could hear as well as feel the blood throbbing in his ears.

Vegeta visibly winced when he heard the chair hit the floor.  His keen hearing augmented the sound, causing fleeting pain in his ears.   He stopped eating and glared at Kakarrot, wondering at the strange behavior.  He could feel Kakarrot's ki starting to rise but waver at the same time.  His eyes went wide when he noticed how pallid and unsteady his sparring partner looked.  Vegeta frowned at him, confused by his strange behavior.

"What the hell is wrong with you Kakarrot?"  He demanded.

"I…I suddenly don't feel so well."  He stammered; sweat starting to form on his brow.

"You don't really look so good either.  Maybe you should sit back down." Bulma said with sisterly concern laced in her voice.

Goku shook his head.  "No I think maybe I…just need some air."  He said walking a bit unsteadily toward the back door with his hand on his head.  He realized his mistake too late.  The jarring movement made him even dizzier and a particularly violent wave of nausea overtook him.  He passed the back door, and instead dashed to the first floor bathroom.  He shoved the door open then slammed it shut behind him with more force than he'd intended.  Several pictures and knickknacks crashed to the floor, shattering into small pieces.  He didn't have time to survey the broken décor.  Dropping to his knees in front of the white porcelain, he made it just in time as he was unpleasantly reacquainted with his lunch.

***

Bulma's eyes followed Goku's swiftly retreating form with concern.  She jumped slightly when she heard the bathroom door slam followed by the sound of glass breaking.  Turning back to Vegeta she noticed something akin to concern flash so quickly across his face, that she almost convinced herself that she'd only imagined it.  Almost.  Vegeta was a master at masking his emotions, and Bulma knew from experience not to question him.  It just caused him to guard them more fiercely.

"What was that all about?"  She asked.

"How should I know onna?  I don't have any more insight than you."  He said sarcastically, trying to mask his own concern.

Bulma rolled her eyes heavenward.  "I mean did something happen earlier while you two were sparring?  He looked ill and I thought maybe he'd said something about not feeling well."

Vegeta shook his head.  "Nothing unusual."

"How strange.  He seemed fine when I first came in, then he just got sick all of a sudden.  I know Saiyans aren't susceptible to many earth illnesses, but I swear he looked like he had a sudden case of the flu or something.  Did you see how pale he became?"

"Of course I did.  Apparently there's something wrong with him, but I doubt it's some pathetic earth virus."

Bulma shook her head.  "Yeah but Saiyans are susceptible to some earth viruses…like the heart virus."

"But that was later found to be a genetically engineered virus that your feeble military was trying to develop as a bio-weapon."

Maybe she was worrying over nothing.  But she couldn't very well act as if nothing was wrong with her friend.  "That's true.  But how do you know that there isn't another genetically engineered virus floating around?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and shrugged.  There was really no point arguing with the onna.  She was the most melodramatic person he'd ever met...well aside from the harridan Kakarrot had married.  He briefly wondered if it was something inherent to human females.  Probably so, as evident from all the silly talk shows and soap operas that came on TV.  Shaking the thought from his head, Vegeta tried to continue eating.  His thoughts unwittingly kept returning to the earth-raised Saiyan.  He told himself over and over that he really wasn't concerned about the third-class baka.  However, no matter how he tried, he just couldn't finish the food.  It had become wholly unappealing.  A little voice deep down was telling him how concerned he really was about Kakarrot, and it made him lose his appetite.  The fact that his sensitive Saiyan hearing picked up on the sounds of the other man retching didn't help much either.

Bulma also pushed away her meal.  She had to make sure her friend was okay.  She stood up walking in the direction that Goku had retreated to, but Vegeta's deep voice called her to a halt.

"Leave him be.  He's a big boy.  He doesn't need your help, and if he did, I'd surely think less of him.  He probably just got sick from this food."  He said gesturing to the remnants of pizza .

Bulma was stuck in her place.  She wanted to go check on her friend, but maybe Vegeta was right.  She didn't know much to turn Goku's stomach, but it had happened once or twice.  He would probably be fine once he got the offending food off his stomach and there was really nothing she could do anyway.  She glanced at her watch noticing that time had begun slipping away and she still had to prepare for her meeting.

"Fine, I won't bother him.  I have to get back to work anyway, but will you keep an eye on him?  If there's anything really seriously wrong with Goku, would you call his wife, and then call me." She said.  She frowned at the look of incredulity he flashed her, not seeing the request as unreasonable.

"What do I look like?  A nurse?  Like I said, Kakarrot's a grown man. I'm not going to baby-sit him.  Besides, he'll probably be alright after he finishes puking his guts out."  He said in a voice that almost sounded convincingly apathetic.

She quirked her eyebrow then smiled at him.  It was evident that he was worried about Goku and trying to reassure himself, but also trying to put on an air of indifference to hide that concern.  Besides, he looked so cute with that _'I'm insulted cause that's beneath me'_ look on his face.

"What's so amusing?"  He grumbled.

"Oh nothing."  She said snapping out of her thoughts.  Turning serious once again she said, "Please Vegeta.  Just look after him…for me"

The Ouji just shrugged his shoulders and hmphed.

"Thanks…" she said grabbing her stuff and leaving through the kitchen door, to return to her office.

***

The late morning sun was high in the sky signifying that it was nearing 11:00.  Chichi had spent more time in the bank than she intended, and thus she was going to be late for another appointment.  She glanced at her watch and noted that she only had about 15 minutes to get across town.  She uncapsulated her car, a present from Goku, and hopped in.  Surely she committed multiple traffic violations as she sped through lunchtime traffic, trying not to be late.  About 10 minutes later, she pulled up outside a tall glass building.  The sign read 'East District Office Complex'.

_'Good...'_ she thought glancing at her watch as she encapped her car.  _'...I still have 5 minutes to spare.'_  She strolled into the building and took the elevator to the offices on the 8th floor.  A woman, about her age, greeted her as she walked in.

"Good morning..." The woman said in a well-rehearsed voice.  "...How can I help you?"

Chichi stepped up to the receptionist's desk.  "I'm Chichi Son.  I have an appointment with Robert Kimoto."

The woman checked her schedule logbook.  "Please take a seat Mrs. Son.  Mr. Kimoto will be with you shortly."  She said motioning to the area apparently designated as a waiting room.  Chichi took a seat, looking around at the few people that accompanied her in the waiting area.  A few minutes later, a short portly man with wire-rimmed glasses and dark stringy hair in a bad comb-over walked out.  

"Mrs. Son?"  He questioned, extending his hand.

"Yes.  I'm Chichi Son."  She said standing and bowing slightly, but ignoring the hand.

"Uh…yes well, please follow me."  He said dropping his hand and walking back the way he'd come.  Chichi followed closely behind into the man's office, and took a seat across his desk.

"Mrs. Son, I have prepared the final closing papers for you to sign."

She picked up a pen from his desk and poised it waiting for the papers that would put her one step closer to freedom.

"Before you sign them, I'm required by law to review the terms of the purchase."

Chichi frowned.  More holdups and she'd already wasted more time this morning than she'd intended.  

"Fine, but please give me the abridged version.  I'm in a bit of a hurry."

The man nodded quickly, pushing his glasses back up his nose.  For some reason the woman scared the crap out of him.  He'd been working with her for a few weeks and she was seemingly brash, and very unfriendly.  He'd be glad to get this over with also.  As quickly as an auction announcer, he recapped the terms and pushed the stack of papers in front of her.  After she scrawled her signature on all of them she watched impatiently as he checked each document's accuracy.  Ten minutes and eons of frustration later, he looked up smiling and handed her a set of keys.

"Congratulations on your new home.  As you requested the condo is habitable immediately.  You may move in as soon as you're ready."  He said.

Chichi thanked him and left the office.  She had to hurry home and get packed before Goku returned from sparring.  She had already spent most of the week preparing things to be capsulated.  All she had to do now was encap them, pack up a few of her other things and leave.  She stepped into the bright afternoon sun and smiled faintly.  She was about to open a new chapter in her life, and it was a bit exciting.  She looked at her watch, noting that it was close to noon.  She had at least 4 more hours before Goku arrived back home from his daily spar with Vegeta.  She' wanted to be gone by then, hoping to avoid the confrontation that was inevitable as long as possible.  She hopped in her car and sped toward the outskirts of town and back to the mountains she once considered home.

***

Goku gripped his stomach and the toilet as he retched painfully.  He had long since thrown up all of his food and was now just dry heaving.  After his stomach settled a bit, and the dizziness subsided to just a light wooziness, he flushed the toilet and stood at the sink.  He rinsed his mouth out with cold water, and rubbed some on his face and neck to try to refresh himself.  He didn't know what had overcome him, but he knew it had something to do with that strange scent.  He stared at his reflection in the vanity mirror and noted that he was getting a bit of color back in his pale cheeks, and his breathing had returned to normal.  He was feeling a bit better so he decided to go back to the kitchen, but only if Bulma was already gone.  He hardly wanted a repeated episode.

He stretched his senses and was relieved to discover that she was no longer on Capsule Corp property.  Hopefully whatever she'd been around today was only a one-time thing, and he wouldn't have to endure that again.  He'd really hate to have to start avoiding his friend, and he'd dreaded the thought of telling her that she smelled…well, funny.  He winced at the thought of what she'd say to that.  He fixed himself up the best he could, and picked up the few shards of glass that littered the floor.  Then he left the bathroom to find Vegeta and cancel their evening spar.  He felt a bit better, but then he still felt a bit bad.  All he really wanted to do was go home and take a nap.  Maybe then he'd feel 100%.

***

Vegeta continued sitting at the kitchen table after Bulma had left.  Every few minutes he would search out Kakarrot's ki just to see if it had stabilized.  It still remained elevated, and erratic.  Vegeta stood, walking toward the door intent on checking up on Kakarrot.  Before he reached the hallway, he stopped and growled under his breath.

"What the hell am I doing?  I don't care what's wrong with the baka," he snorted under his breath.  He turned completely around, this time intent on going back into the kitchen.  But for some reason he was frozen in his place.  In the back of his mind he could hear a little voice telling him to check on Kakarrot, if for nothing more, to satisfy his own curiosity.  He searched out again, telling himself over and over like a mantra, that it was just out of curiosity and nothing more, definitely not concern.  He couldn't stifle the relieved sigh when he felt the other man's ki at a normal, stabilized level.  _'Good,'_ he thought and strolled back into the kitchen.  He programmed the cleaning bots to come pick up the mess, not wanting to hear the onna's mouth about leaving her kitchen wrecked when she got back home.  He turned to leave the kitchen and ran right into a rock solid chest.

"Damn it Kakarrot.  What the hell is wrong with you?"  He growled rubbing his forehead.  He was more than annoyed that Kakarrot had been able to sneak up on him like that.''

Goku shrugged his shoulders.  "I don't know.  Something about Bulma's scent was strange…it made me sick."  He said hesitantly, not wanting to sound weak.  The corners of Vegeta's mouth twitched before he started laughing.  

"What?  What's so funny?"  Goku asked, completely baffled.

"Are you saying the woman smelled so bad it made you sick?"

Goku held up his hands in a placating gesture.  "No...no it's not like that.  I mean maybe it was something she worked with today…I don' t know.  Didn't you smell it?"

Vegeta continued to snicker for a moment.  "No Kakarrot.  I didn't smell anything unusual, and there's definitely nothing wrong with my senses.  The onna was worried about your baka self.  I'm sure she'd be interested to know you thought she reeked."

"Don't say that to her Vegeta.  I didn't say she smelled bad...just funny.  Besides, she'd kill me for saying something like that."  He said hoping Vegeta wouldn't tell Bulma what he'd said.  He never would have mentioned it to Vegeta, if not for wondering if the Ouji had smelled it too.

"Fine baka.  I won't say anything."  He said still smirking.  "Are you ready to finish our spar?"

Goku shook his head.  "I really don't feel like it.  I still feel a little bad.  I think I'm going to head home and rest for a while.  How about we finish up tomorrow?"

Vegeta shrugged his shoulders, a little disappointed that he wouldn't have a sparring partner.

"Fine.  Tomorrow then."  He said walking off toward the gravity room.

Goku brought two fingers up to his forehead and disappeared.  A fraction of a second later, he reappeared outside his mountain home.  He remembered how much Chichi hated for him to materialize in the house.  On more than one occasion she had fainted in startled fear when he just appeared out of nowhere.  The first thing he noticed was her car uncapsulated and parked out on the lawn.  He thought it was odd because she never left it parked…unless she was unloading it, or leaving right back out.  He peered inside the vehicle to see if there were some groceries that he could bring in, but aside from a small briefcase, the car was empty.  He frowned slightly, figuring that she planned on going back out.  For some reason unknown to him, an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.  Chichi had already gone out this morning while he was asleep.  So where could she be planning on going now?  She was a homebody.  He'd never known her to be one to stay out long.  He briefly pondered why he was suddenly feeling nervous.  Dismissing the thought, he walked into the house through the kitchen door, fully expecting to see his wife in her apron, standing at the stove or sink.  Instead, he was greeted with the stillness of an empty kitchen.

Frowning slightly he called out to get his wife's attention.

"Hey Chi…I'm back!"

***

End 3/?

Uh oh, Goku's back early.  I wonder what he'll do when he finds out what Chichi's up to?  What's this whole deal about Bulma and strange scents?  And who does Vegeta think he's fooling? Oh btw, lets just pretend that 2,000,000 Zeni is a lot of money…I really have no idea.

A/N: Sanne, Yemil Vegaits, Videl, and QueenSaiyan…Thanks for the reviews.  It keeps me inspired to know that someone is actually reading my story.  Sorry about the formatting for the first two chapters.  I didn't type them like that, and I didn't realize that they hadn't uploaded properly.

kaineko@hotmail.com

(Want to be notified when I update?  Let me know by email or in your review.)

"Inspiration comes from comments, criticism, and feedback in general…oh and hot naked Saiyans romping around shamelessly."


	4. When It Rains 03

No warnings to speak of but any anime characters referenced in this story belong to their respective owner…not me.

**When it Rains**

**By: Kaineko**

****

**Chapter 03**

Chichi had made it back in record time with the determination that this would be the day she finally put an end to their charade of a marriage. She was tired of taking second place to everything and everyone else…being left alone while he did god knows what.  Just recently she'd started getting out more while Goku was off sparring with that arrogant bastard of a prince.  She'd actually met quite a few people and made some new friends that were interested in the same things that she was interested in, such as art, literature, and music.  It wasn't until then that she realized what she'd been missing all these years while playing wife to a man that was too inconsiderate to even stick around.  In her mind, he'd become the most thoughtless, impulsive, irresponsible man; constantly running off, leaving his family for some asinine reason or another.

She was utterly miserable in her marriage, but she'd never even had the inclination that it was time to cut her husband loose and start living for herself. At least not until one of her new friends opened her eyes and told her that she didn't have to settle for being second and didn't deserve to be put through the misery and loneliness that he subjected her to.  She knew it to be true, and had been saying for years how they never appreciated the sacrifices that she made for them.  During those years she'd performed a balancing act while walking the thin line that's said to lie between love and hate.  Once she'd loved Goku, but over the years the love she'd held for him had slowly changed to resentment…the type that leaves a lingering acrid taste in your mouth.  She didn't really know what she felt for him now; but she knew that the amorous feelings she'd once harbored were now twisted and replaced by something akin to hate, if not hate itself.  Through all of her introspection she continued musing over the failed relationship, haphazardly packing more stuff into the suitcases.  She was almost finished when she heard the backdoor creak open then slam shut.

_'Damn!'_ she thought stilling her breath.  _'That can't be Goku at this time of day.'_  But even as she thought it, she knew it wouldn't be anyone but him.

"Hey Chi!  I'm back!"  She heard her husband call out from downstairs.  _'Of all the times I wanted him to come home early and he didn't, he picks today to start.'_

She quickly encapped the things she had packed so far, and slid the small case into her purse.  She'd already packed up the most important stuff.  The rest, she reasoned, she could do without.  She wasn't taking any of the furniture or other big things...Just her clothes and a few odds and ends that held some kind of sentimental value.

Chichi had known that eventually she'd have to face him, but she'd really been hoping that it could be later rather than sooner.  She contemplated just telling him she had to go to the store and hoping he'd buy it long enough for her to leave without a confrontation.  It would probably work, but after she didn't show back up, he'd definitely track her ki and come looking for her.  _'Damned warrior senses.'  _She thought.

Her intention had been to leave him a note, not wanting to do this face to face.  By the time he discovered she was missing, she'd already be in her new home.  It wasn't that she was a coward; it was just that she didn't know if her determination would remain solid in the face of his reaction or if she'd relent on her decision.  She had after all been married to him for many decades.  But this is something she felt compelled to do.  Steeling her resolve, she left the bedroom and descended the stairs into the kitchen.

***

Goku watched as his wife walked slowly and deliberately down the stairs.  It was apparent that she was in one of her moods, and he wondered what he could've done to anger her this time.  Quickly he did a mental check, he hadn't left his dirty clothes on the bathroom floor, or left the bed unmade when he got up this morning, or left a mess in the kitchen before he went to spar.  He couldn't think of what he had done, but the look on her face told him that some serious shit was about to hit the fan.  The slight twinge of dread that he'd suppressed earlier was now back with a vengeance.  Add to that the fact that he was still feeling a bit queasy from the confusing episode at Capsule Corp, and it didn't make for a pleasant feeling.  A bit unsteady on his feet, he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.  He greeted his wife as cheerfully as he could, considering the feeling of trepidation looming over him like ominous rain clouds threatening a family picnic.

"Hey Chi. Where'd you go this morning?"

She didn't greet him or answer his question, instead remaining somber.  If he had done something wrong, it had to be bad because she wasn't even screeching at him.  He fidgeted a little, watching his wife for any signs that she was about to explode with anger.  This anxiety was an unfamiliar feeling to the normally optimistic warrior, but his wife's uncharacteristic quiet demeanor was unnerving.

Chichi stared at him for a long moment, not uttering a word.  In her head she kept repeating words of encouragement.  She had to do this.  She could no longer pretend she was happy as his wife and continue living in constant frustration.  Since she hadn't had any time to prepare for this confrontation, she tried to think of the best way to broach the subject.  She could try to sugarcoat it, or beat around the bush, but Goku was so inept that he'd probably completely misunderstand what she was saying.  With the clueless warrior it was best to just come right out and say it.  She inhaled deeply, trying to calm her raging emotions before finally speaking.

"I'm leaving."  She said in a flat, monotone voice that belied her true feelings.

Goku sighed a bit.  Was that all?  "Yeah, I saw the car uncapped outside.  Where are you going?"

Chichi rolled her eyes, not believing that Goku had misunderstood even the direct approach.

"I mean I'm leaving here…for good.  I'm not coming back anymore.  I want a divorce."

Goku was taken aback by his wife's startling declaration.  She had to be kidding…right.  Looking in her eyes he knew instantly that she wasn't joking.  He tried to process her words, but his mind was once again swimming with the ramifications of her statement.  "What do you mean…divorce?!"  He said almost too shocked to form words.

She crossed her arms across her chest, rolling her eyes in exasperation.  "Damn Goku.  How much clearer can I spell it out?  I'm moving out. I don't want to be married to you anymore.  Our marriage was a joke and it's over."  She said condescendingly.

His heart clenched painfully in his chest and he shook his head as if his denial would make her words not be true.  He stood up abruptly knocking over his chair in the process.  He seemed to be making a habit of doing that lately.

"Why?  Whatever I did wrong I'm sorry.  Let me fix it."  He blurted out in a frantic tone.

She shook her head.  "I'm not happy here with you anymore.  I don't think I ever have been happy.  I've wasted too much of my life with you…and I don't plan on doing it any longer."

He opened his mouth to make another plea but was immediately silenced as she cut him off.

"My decision is made.  There's nothing you can say to change my mind."  She said, voice hard as steel.

Ignoring her words he pleaded with her.  "Please Chichi.  We can talk about this.  Give me another chance."  He said, his voice cracking slightly under the strain of his emotions.

That was it for Chichi.  She had tried so hard to keep herself from becoming angry, but his words had sent her over the edge.  Her eye was twitching slightly and her small fists were clenched in anger.

"Talk!"  She screeched causing Goku to flinch at the volume of her voice.  "**Now** you want to talk!  After all these years of me trying to communicate with you on a husband/wife level and never being able to hold your attention for more than two seconds.  Now you want to talk…Ha!"  She said in a sadistically amused tone that almost made Goku question her sanity.  

"You'll never change Goku.  You only react when your way of life is threatened.  As for another chance…it seems I've given you more chances than you deserve."  She said remembering all the times he'd left her without warning and all the times she was there waiting for him when he decided to return.  "I'm sick of giving you second and third and tenth chances.  No more Goku.  You'll get no more chances from me."

Goku was at a loss for words.  He knew that what she was saying was true and he couldn't defend himself against her accusations.  He had left her more times than he could count and she'd finally had enough.

The raven haired woman looked pointedly at her husband while mentally recounting all the things he'd done over the years.  She couldn't figure out why she hadn't left his sorry Saiyan ass years ago.  _'Probably because he never stayed alive long enough for me to leave him.'_  For that matter she couldn't figure out why she'd married him in the first place.  "I should've known you weren't marriage material when you ran off at our first wedding."

Goku's eyes widened at her comment.  He remembered the incident when they were kids.  In his perpetual naiveté he hadn't known what the word marriage meant and at their first wedding he'd left in pursuit of the dragonballs.  "Come on Chi. We were kids then, and I didn't understand what you wanted from me.  Later when you explained it to me, I was more than willing to give it to you." 

"Apparently my explanation wasn't plain enough even for you.  You never gave me what I wanted…what I needed!  You were never husband material to begin with."

Goku purposely ignored her derisive comment about his intelligence.  "Please, tell me…what is it that you want from me?  I've tried to do the best I could by you.  Why isn't it good enough?"  He asked with an almost pleading tone to his voice.  He felt as if this was one battle that he was losing miserably.

Chichi looked at her husband disdainfully noting his dirty, torn clothes and his faintly bruised skin that was already beginning to heal.  "I needed a husband that put my needs before some idiotic obsession with fighting, and you've never done that.  My place has always been after your true love.  Well I refuse to just sit back and allow you to keep being unfaithful to me."

Goku froze at his wife's words.  Unfaithful?!  He had never cheated on her.   "What?!  That's ridiculous…I've never cheated on you."

"I didn't say cheated, I said unfaithful.  Every time you put something or someone before me, you were unfaithful…disloyal…untrue to the vows that you made to me.  Our entire marriage was a lie.  You never intended to be a husband to me.  If I'd had more sense, I would have left you so damned long ago."  She said; regret that she hadn't done so shone clearly on her face.

"I fight to protect the things I love…namely you and our family.  How can you fault me for that?"

"Bullshit Goku!  Save it for someone that's foolish enough to believe you.  You fight because fighting's in your alien blood.  It's the exhilaration that you get from fighting that you're addicted to.  You forget…I was a warrior once.  I know the thrill of battle.  But my Kami Goku!  That's all you've ever lived for.  Well so be it."  She said throwing up her hands as if she no longer could care less.  "Sleep with your love of fighting…see if that keeps you warm at night, because I'm leaving."  With that Chichi turned and stormed out through the back door.  She was fuming and bitter and she wanted to leave before she really exploded.

Goku was still trying to process his wife's damning words.  At first he was too stunned to move.  But almost immediately he regained his bearings and ran after her.  Before she made it to her car, he grabbed her arm with painful force, too emotional to control his strength, and turned her to face him.  His heart was screaming at him that he couldn't lose his wife.  His head was screaming at him for being a failure.  He just couldn't accept this.

"I refuse to let you go.  You can't just leave me like this.  I don't deserve this."  He said, unshed tears glistening in his dark eyes.

Chichi winced at the pain radiating through her upper arm, and tried to pull free, but his grip was unrelenting.  She knew that he didn't realize he was holding her so tight, but she refused to appear weak and let him know that he was hurting her.  "And I deserved all of your absences.  I kept quiet when the boys were young, but they're men now and my responsibility to take care of them has been fulfilled.  My responsibility to you has been nullified because you never fulfilled your obligation to me.  So I suggest you let me go and let me leave."  She declared in a tone that said she meant business.  She knew that if Goku so chose, he could force her to stay.  But she didn't believe that was even a possibility.

Goku held her in place for a few moments wracking his brain for something…anything to say to make her stay.  But looking in her eyes, at her unshielded emotions, he knew that there was nothing more he could say.  He suddenly realized the amount of force he was holding her with.  Immediately he loosened his hold, and rubbed the bruising skin apologetically before reluctantly releasing his grip.  The loss of contact seemed to shatter his already broken heart into a million pieces and the pain he felt was almost unbearable.  "Please Chichi.  I can change for you.  Don't leave me."  He said, choking back the sobs that threatened to come forth.

"Sorry Goku," she said, voice laced with anger, hostility, and pain, "but too little too late."  With that she hopped in the car and sped off leaving a thick dust trail behind her.

Goku watched his wife go with something akin to incredulity.  "How am I supposed to make it Chichi?  How will I survive without you?"  He asked as if she could still hear him.  He stood there for a long time just watching as the car turned into nothing more than a dot in the sky.  He thought about following behind her and trying to reason with her, but he knew it would do no good.  She had been furious with him before…many times, but never to the point that he thought that she was ready to leave.  However now he was painfully aware just how infuriated she'd actually been.  He felt like a lost and helpless child…all alone in the world.  With a defeated slump to his shoulders, and an agonizing pain in his chest, Son Goku walked back inside the house that had once felt so quaint and homey, but now felt cold and lonely.  He plopped down on the sofa, wiping at the silent tears that had begun streaming down his face making wet tracks on his smooth pale skin.  He couldn't believe his wife of so many decades had just left him.  The cold harsh feeling of abandonment and vulnerability washed over him, sending an artic chill down his spine.  He was miserable and he honestly didn't believe he'd make it.  He wondered if this was how Chichi had felt all those times he had left her.  Maybe he deserved this pain.  It was sort of poetic justice he surmised, to have the tables turned so completely.  He lay down on the couch and pillowed his head on his folded arm, tears still flowing freely.  The pain in his heart was so great that he didn't think it would ever stop.  He lay there for what seemed an eternity, his mind awhirl with all the emotional turmoil he'd suffered in such a sort period of time.  His sobs slowly faded to be replaced by intermittent sniffles and his red swollen eyes slid shut.  The weight of the day finally took its toll on him and within minutes he had fallen into an exhausted sleep.

_~~~_

_Goku__ stood silently on the hillside with his back against the warm gentle mountain wind.  The area was shrouded under a canopy of dense foliage.  What little of the dusky gray sky he could see through the branches told him that the day was transitioning from late afternoon, to early evening.  He glanced around at his surroundings; taking in all the sights.  "Where am I?" he asked himself aloud.  Somehow everything looked strangely familiar, but he still had no clue of where he was or how he got there.  He started to walk down the path, but something caught his leg and tripped him up.  He landed with an ungraceful thud sending up a cloud of dust and leaves.  Looking down to see what he tripped over, he gasped in shock when he saw that his tail had unknowingly regenerated and was wrapped around his ankle.  ''When did that get there?'  He thought, trying to remember its regeneration.  When he couldn't figure it out he shrugged and decided he'd think about that later.  Righting himself and dusting off his clothes, he ventured a little further down the well-beaten path he was standing on.  It forked in many different directions, but somehow he felt like he was going the right way.  But the right way to what he couldn't figure out._

_He went over several small hills before he finally came upon a little house in a clearing.  He immediately recognized it as his childhood home.  That's when it clicked…he was back in the mountains of his youth.  It was quite a distance away from where he lived now, and he hadn't been back in years. ''Why would I come here?'  He thought as he stepped closer to the small building and went inside.  The room was too dark for him to make out anything, which was odd given that he could usually still see a little even in total darkness.  Not giving it a second thought, he held up his hand forming a glowing ball of ki that cast the room in soft eerie light.  He gaped in open-mouthed shock.  Everything was exactly the same as when he was a child.  But how was that possible?  He had taken most of the things with him when he and Chichi were married and moved to their current home.  "How did all this stuff get here?"  He said.  "For that matter, how did I get here?"   _

_Suddenly something collided with him from the back, knocking him to the ground and extinguishing the ki.  He growled indignantly, picking himself up to his knees on the dusty floor.  He raised his hand to form another ki ball to see what had hit him, but before he could form it, he found himself in a chokehold from behind.  His back was pressed firmly against the front of his captor and he could feel the heat radiating off the unknown individual.  He struggled to free himself from the tight hold, clawing at the arm that was cutting off his airway.  The person holding him was too strong even for him.  This was impossible.  Even Vegeta couldn't have so thoroughly restrained him unless he was in Super Saiyan form.  But the room was completely void of the luminescence that normally glowed from a Super Saiyan.  So, who could this be?_

_Goku__ tried to power up, but was shocked to find that he couldn't summon his ki.  He was frantic.  Where was his power?  He had just used it only moments before, so where could it have gone so suddenly?  That's when he heard a vicious laugh and felt hot breath on his ear._

_"Ah Ah Ah."__  The voice said admonishingly.  "Your ki will do you no good now.  It's useless to even try."  He said._

_The voice was strangely familiar, yet not so familiar at the same time.  Goku couldn't believe that his power could just be gone so suddenly and he tried to power up again.  The grip on his throat tightened, threatening to crush his fragile windpipe, and he almost passed out from lack of oxygen.  _

_"I told you not to even try."  The voice snarled._

_Goku__ was feeling faint and woozy.  He released his attempt to power up, instead letting out a surprisingly fierce growl through his constricted throat.  The man chuckled darkly and relaxed his grip a little.  Goku gasped, desperately trying to fill his air-starved lungs.  Suddenly he smelled it…a sickly sweet aroma that turned his stomach and made him want to vomit.  His mind was racing trying to figure out who this person was.  He tried to sense their ki, but he couldn't feel anything from them. _

_"Who are you?" Goku managed to rasp out through his aching throat._

_The man clicked his tongue in a disappointed way.  "I'm hurt that you don't remember me.  Well let me refresh your memory."  Before Goku could say anything else a hand wrapped cruelly around his tail, crushing the fragile length in a painful grip, and pulled hard.  A pain-filled scream escaped his raw throat as his mind faded into a sea of immense pain._

_~~~_

Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Goku woke up to his own screams.  His mind was hazy and disoriented.  He blinked rapidly until his living room came into focus, and realized with a torrent of relief that he was in his own house.  Quickly he felt around his lower back for his tail, only to find that it wasn't there.  He sighed audibly with the realization that he'd only been dreaming.  He could only remember disjointed fragments of the dream, but the fact that he'd awoken screaming was enough to unnerve him.  

_'What's going on?  I never have nightmares.'_  He thought.  He could remember Gohan having a few as a boy, and even Goten on occasion, but never himself.  He'd always been a sound sleeper.  He believed in training his body to be in top form, and that always left him so exhausted that he couldn't do anything but sleep.  He'd also taught himself how to clear his mind and lower his naturally keen awareness while he slept otherwise he'd be constantly woken by trivial noises.

Sitting up on the soft worn sofa, he wiped the sweat from his brow and swallowed a few times to relieve the rawness in his throat.  He rubbed his hands across his stiff neck to alleviate the tension.

"Why the heck did I fall asleep on the couch?"  He mumbled.  "Chichi should have surely awakened…" He trailed off abruptly.  Everything was suddenly coming back to him.  His wife had declared that she no longer wanted to be married to him.  He remembered her angry scold…her damning words of resentment…her abandonment.  A deep clenching in his chest seemed to vibrate pain to his very core.  It felt like a gaping hole had been ripped in his chest, and his heart had been pulled through it, but regrettably he was left alive to suffer from his injury.  He wanted to go find her…make everything right.  But some force deep inside him held him firmly back.

He sighed dejectedly before standing and stretching his sore cramped muscles.  Being well over 6 feet tall and sleeping curled on a couch that was considerably shorter had certainly taken a toll on him.  His bitterly empty stomach growled fiercely which wasn't surprising.  He hadn't really eaten well that morning and he'd unfortunately thrown up all his lunch.  He moved into the kitchen, picking up the chair he'd knocked over earlier before going to the pantry.  He rummaged through the cabinets, not even bothering to turn on the lights, and searched for something to eat.  Of course, he didn't find much…only what he hadn't devoured that morning.  Chichi hadn't been kind enough to restock the comestibles before she took off.  The only things in the cabinet were a box of saltine crackers, a half-eaten jar of peanut butter, and a box of Healthy-O's cereal, which no one liked.  'Ah well…' he thought.  He was Saiyan therefore anything he ate would be consumed so fast that he wouldn't taste it anyway.  He set the food down at the table and began eating his humble meal in silence.

*******

The Capsule Corp. building was one of the most technologically advanced buildings in the world.  It was outfitted with state of the art…well everything.  So why couldn't they do something as simple as regulate the temperature in the damned building, Vegeta thought.  Even though the weather outside was mildly warm, it was freezing inside the air-conditioned structure.  He hated being cold with a passion.  It was probably a by-product of all the time he'd spent in that cold-hearted bastard's company.  The tyrant never kept his throne room or the ship halls above freezing, and it was always extremely difficult to concentrate on anything when your balls were going numb and you could see your breath every time you exhaled.  Vegeta pulled the towel off his waist and padded over to his dresser.  He rummaged through the bottom of one of his drawers and pulled out what appeared to be several plastic shopping bags stuffed inside one another to hide the contents.  Inside was a pair of navy and black checked flannel pajamas that he'd bought during the winter.  He pulled them out and quickly slid them over his shivering frame, thankful of having his own room.  He'd be damned if anyone knew that he sometimes…only when really cold…slept in flannel pajamas.  He'd have to remember to berate the onna about the poor climate in the morning.  It was really late and he was exhausted.  Turning out the light he padded across the room and slipped under the covers of the warm, comfortable bed.  At least the woman bought good mattresses.

Long moments passed, as he lay still staring up through the darkened room at the intricately molded ceiling above him.  He could still make out the repeating diamond pattern through the shadowy room and he sometimes counted each one before falling asleep.  His mind was awhirl with all his memories of the day.  He thought about his earlier spar with Kakarrot.  It had been truly enjoyable, as always, but far too short for the Ouji's liking.  He'd been really looking forward to continuing their spar after lunch.  Too bad the baka had gotten ill.  He frowned slightly in thought.  What exactly had that been about?  Vegeta's senses were extremely keen.  Saiyans as a race had highly acute senses.  But strangely whatever odor caused Kakarrot to be sick, had completely unaffected the prince.  He couldn't get that out of his mind.  When Bulma came back home that evening he'd purposely met her at the door before she had a chance to shower.  She didn't smell any different than normal, except for the slight odors of the ningens she'd been around that day.  But that wasn't so unusual.  She worked around a lot of people, so naturally their scent would faintly rub off on her, especially those she touched or was around for a prolonged period of time.  He wouldn't normally have even paid any attention to it since her own natural scent dominated those in-contact scents.  It was only because he had been purposely cognizant of her smell, that he took notice this time.

Vegeta rolled over on his side, curling up trying to maintain his body heat.  He wasn't really concerned with what Bulma had been working around that day.  He was more concerned with the way Kakarrot had reacted to it.  _'Wait…concerned…no not concerned, just curious'_ he told himself.  He didn't care about what was wrong with the overgrown baka!  _'Then why did you go sniffing on Bulma like a dog before she could even get in the house good?'_ a mocking little voice chanted in the back of his mind.  He growled under his breath and flopped agitatedly onto his other side.

"I was just curious."  He told himself aloud as if the other voice had manifested into another person that he could converse with.  _'Who do you think you're fooling?  Not even yourself because that's me and I'm not falling for it.' _The little voice taunted.

The ouji put the pillow over his head, trying to block out the derisive little voice, but as he expected it did no good.  Vegeta wished he could just shut off his thoughts, but since they were internal, he couldn't banish them.  He grumbled again, rolling around restlessly.  He just wanted to get some sleep, not debate with himself over someone he could care less about.  He spent a few more minutes arguing with himself before he had an ideal of how to shut the voice up.  He did know one way to turn off his thoughts.  Lying completely still he began to clear his thoughts in preparation for meditation.  After several frustrating restarts, and a bit of calculated concentration, his mind was crystal clear and he meditated himself to sleep.

***

End 4/?

A/N:  Again thanks for all the reviews…they're keeping me going.  Things are starting to come along…just be patient and continue to review.

Zani: I got your email but when I tried to respond it kept bouncing back stating that you couldn't be reached.  Please email me again so I can contact you.

kaineko@hotmail.com

(Want to be notified when I update? Let me know by email or in your review.)


	5. When It Rains 04

No warnings to speak of but any anime characters referenced in this story belong to their respective owner…not me. This hasn't been beta'd, so forgive any grammar or spelling mistakes. 

**When it Rains **

**By: Kaineko **

****

**_Chapter 04 _**

As the morning dawned, it brought with it the warming rays of the sun, chasing away the chill of the air conditioner and casting the room in a salient synthesis of shadow and light. The Ouji yawned and stretched his slumber stiffened muscles. It had been ages since he awoke to the rays of the earth's sun, normally opting to already be up and dressed to train way before it began to rise. The wee hours of the morning were always his most productive time. No onna to constantly nag the hell out of him, no kids to demand his time, no idiotic ningens to be in the way…just him and his training. He could get twice as much accomplished before dawn than throughout the rest of the day simply because there were no interruptions. 

Pushing the cover off his body, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up stretching even more. He padded noiselessly across the warm carpet to the balcony curtains and opened them fully, allowing the suns rays to flow more unimpeded into the room. For several minutes he simply basked, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of the warmth caressing his skin, before turning away and walking to his dresser for his training clothes. Afterward, he made his way downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. Bulma was sitting at the table, reading the paper and drinking that disgusting coffee, her off-key humming wreaking havoc on his sensitive ears. She looked up as he descended the stairs, thankfully stopping the horrific noise. 

"Where's my breakfast onna?" He growled out, his voice still thick from sleep. 

"Well good morning to you too." She said in exaggerated cheerfulness, rolling her eyes. 

"Onna!" He growled warningly, her sarcastic pleasantries too much for him to stomach. 

Bulma sighed and looked up over the edge of her paper. "You'll have to make your own Vegeta. I didn't know you were still up there since you're usually already training by this time." 

"Well now you know so fix me something." 

Bulma smirked at him. "No can do. I'm going to work. Someone's gotta make enough money to feed all you ravenous Saiyans." She said folding the paper in half and standing from the table. 

"Fine onna." He grumbled walking to the fridge and rummaging through it. He wasn't even in the mood to argue with her. 

"Oh I forgot to ask you last night…how's Goku doing?" 

Vegeta froze at the mention of the other warrior's name, and then smirked. He toyed with the idea of telling her what had really caused Kakarrot to become sick, but decided against it. He'd given his word to the baka that he wouldn't say anything and he wouldn't break it. "I told you he'd be fine once he puked his guts out. Afterward he went home to rest." 

Bulma breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried about him but she'd only seen Vegeta briefly when she came home last night. She hadn't called the Son house herself because it was pretty late when she got home and she didn't want to disturb them. 

"That's good to hear." She said placing her dishes in the sink. "Well I'm leaving now. See you later." She called over her shoulder as she walked out the back door. 

Vegeta half-acknowledged her departure as he continued to rummage through the fridge, pulling out various breakfast meats, eggs, vegetables, and juice. He quickly whipped up a huge breakfast that he was sure would taste better than anything the onna could have fixed anyway, and sat down to eat. He ate quickly wanting to be finished before Kakarrot showed up for their daily spar wishing he'd at least had a chance to warm up this morning. Unfortunately his meditation had been too deep and he'd missed his internal alarm clock as a result. But as least he'd succeeded in banishing last night's disruptive thoughts from his head and all he was focused on now was engaging in another exhilarating spar with the earth-raised warrior. 

*** 

When Bulma walked into her office she was greeted by the refreshing smell of fresh-brewed coffee and warmed breakfast pastries. Ian was already sitting at his desk reading through a thick folder of Capsule Corp's standard operating procedures. 

"Good morning." He said through a smile. 

"Uh…morning Ian. You're a little early aren't you?" 

"I wanted to get a good start on learning my new responsibilities." 

"Well it looks like you have." 

Ian stood up and walked around his desk. "Would you like some coffee?" 

"Yes, that would be great. Two sugars…" 

"…and no cream." He finished for her. She smiled and nodded, watching as he made the coffee. 

Bulma took a sip of the drink before she began speaking. "Instead of reading those boring manuals, why don't I just tell you what needs to be done, and you do it the way you think is most effective." She said watching as he nodded in agreement. 

"Your main priorities will be to organize my schedule, re-order supplies, and file away that gigantic stack of reports." She said pointing to a towering pile of manila folders on the corner of the desk. There was actually a lot more that needed to be done, but she knew that what she'd just told him would probably take the better part of several days. There was no way he could catch up a backlog several months old. 

"I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but we provide you with a company capsule car. Someone from accounting will bring it up this morning, along with your credit card for company purchases." 

"Great. I'll get started on these things right away." 

"If you need anything just call." She said walking into the adjoining room and closing the door between them. 

*** 

Chichi was up bright and early as usual standing on the balcony of her new home sipping herbal tea. She'd planned quite a full day, so she was taking a moment to relax before getting started. Her new home was an exclusive lake front condo on the outskirts of East District. It was small, but luxurious, and it had an excellent view of the lake. She could sit on her balcony and watch the sailboats, jet skis, and canoes go by for hours. It was a truly magnificent and relaxing sight that she would surely make good use of. 

The cool air from the lake breezed through her thin bathrobe and stroked her skin. It helped relax her muscles, weary from a night spent on a rough capsule bed. She still didn't have much furniture, but she would rectify that situation this morning with a shopping trip. She'd only had a chance to go grocery shopping the day before, and the task wasn't nearly as harrowing for one normal person as it had been for a full-blooded Saiyan. The food would last her for two weeks instead of just two days. 

Finishing off her tea, she walked into the kitchen and prepared herself a small breakfast. It was remarkable how she could switch from Saiyan cooking mode to normal cooking mode so easily. She started thinking of her estranged husband…cooking always made her think of him. She was no less pissed at him now than she had been; being that she was a master at holding a grudge. But the thought of what he'd do for food without her did cross her mind. Shaking her head to banish the thought, she reminded herself that Goku needed to learn responsibility. He'd just have to fend for himself from now on. 

Chichi finished up her meal then left the room to get dressed. Afterward she left the condo to begin her day. 

*** 

Goku bolted up fighting the confining tangle of his sheets and panting heavily with sweat pouring off his brow. Looking down at his shaking hands he mumbled, "What's wrong with me?" He brought his trembling hand up to his face and wiped the sweat off his temple before it dripped into his eyes. "This is getting ridiculous." 

He'd been awakened several times throughout the night by nightmares that he couldn't seem to remember. Each time it had become increasingly difficult to return to slumber. The details of the dream were always a jumbled blur, but whatever it was scared the hell out of him. He couldn't remember any other time in his life where he felt such startling terror that he could almost taste it in the air around him. He was strong…a warrior…nearly indestructible. At least that's what he had to keep repeating in his head every time he'd wake. 

What seemed like an eternity passed as he sat there just trying to calm his erratic emotions. When his breathing returned to semi-normal, he got up out of the bed and left the room, stripping as he walked down the narrow hallway to the bathroom. Hot water and lots of it was what he needed to cleanse his sweat soaked body and help relieve his anxiety. 

He turned the shower on full-force and stepped under the hot sprays, thankful for its therapeutic qualities. It only took a few moments before the steady rhythm of the water pattering against his skin and the steamy warmth that enveloped him had eased him into a less apprehensive and more pensive mood. What could be causing these strange feelings? Was it anxiety over Chichi's departure or was it something else? Chichi had meant a lot to him, and it certainly hurt him to think that he no longer meant the same to her. But was that really the culprit behind his abnormal sleep interruptions. He wasn't entirely convinced that she could be blamed, but the thought of something else being the source scared him more than he cared to admit. It wasn't just the fact that he was experiencing fear, regardless of how unfounded it seemed. The real problem was that it somehow felt familiar…almost remembered. 

Goku stood under the water, slowly and methodically lathering his body, only performing the task by rote because his mind was elsewhere. It was the stress, he reasoned; the sudden change in his life that he had no control over. The feeling of helplessness. That was the only logical explanation. He'd always felt that he could conquer the unconquerable; destroy the indestructible surmount he insurmountable. If ever faced with a challenge he would always overcome, and he'd never doubted that before. It just seemed like one of those irrefutable facts of nature. But now…in this situation he couldn't remain so optimistic. She'd always done everything for him…taken care of all the little details of life that he'd never had neither the time nor the desire to do. The fact that he didn't have the first clue of how to run a household wasn't lost on him either. He'd have to figure out what he'd do without her in his life…how he'd take care of those finer points by himself. 

Even as that thought crossed his mind, the obvious answer presented itself as well. He'd just have to deal with this like he dealt with every other situation in his life. He had no other choice. Simply dive in headfirst and allow his instincts and emotions to guide him. He was destined to come out on top. He always had in the past. 

*** 

Not too much later Goku left the house dressed in his usual orange gi. He hadn't even bothered to stop by the kitchen…there was no food there. It looked liked he'd be fishing for his breakfast this morning instead. It wasn't too bad a prospect…fish, after all, was one of his favorite foods. He landed on the banks of one of his favorite fishing spots immediately stripping down to his black boxer-briefs and diving into the icy water. A few minutes later he surfaced with several humongous fish in tow. After starting a fire on the shore he cleaned and gutted his catch, impaling it on a stick to be roasted. He was famished and intent on enjoying at least one decent meal today. Too bad he didn't have a rice cooker too. 

*** 

Less than an hour and a pile of fish bones later, Goku's stomach was finally sated. He sat with his back to a large boulder that he'd moved closer to the banks for a seat. He'd been too preoccupied to notice before how extraordinarily beautiful the valley was today. The area was quiet except for the sounds of the birds chirping and the babble of the stream flowing through. Squirrels darted back and forth from tree to tree in their daily routine and an occasional butterfly would flitter by to perch on one of the many wildflowers littering the area. It was all too sickeningly cheerful for Goku's melancholy mind to handle. His mood was somber and the absence of other people made him feel utterly alone. Throughout his meal he'd succeeded in keeping his resolve to banish any negative thoughts from his mind...he'd been too busy eating to think of anything else. But now that he was wholly unoccupied once again, he couldn't help but allow his mind to stray back to Chichi. 

Pessimism wasn't his forte, but no matter how he tried to remain positive, or even neutral, he just couldn't. Perhaps it was that his environment, though beautiful and cheerful only served to mock him by demonstrating how bitterly miserable and dreadful his life had become in contrast. Overwhelmed with his emotions, he stood abruptly and extinguished the fire, before blasting into the sky and away from the bitter solitude and loneliness. 

*** 

Vegeta had long since finished his breakfast and was now waiting on Kakarrot. The dull cadenced thumping of his fingers on the wooden table was the only outward sign of his impatience. He wasn't normally one to just sit around and wait, but he didn't want to start a session in the gravity simulator, just to have it interrupted before he could really get started. Glancing up to the wall, the kitchen clock indicated what Vegeta already knew…that it was getting really late in the morning and Kakarrot should have been there by now. Maybe he really was still sick after all. Some unknown force compelled Vegeta to extend his senses and check the other warrior's ki. Expecting to find it in the mountains he was surprised instead to find it much closer. Was he supposed to meet Kakarrot? He didn't think so…but maybe he'd forgotten. 

He left the house, flying at full speed toward the familiar energy signal. He flew camouflaged by the clouds, following the signature path farther outside the city and into a nearby suburban area. Minutes later he came to a stop, hovering above a playground on a quiet neighborhood street almost completely devoid of any people. A tall building that Vegeta guessed was some type of school stood within close proximity. Immediately he noticed Kakarrot sitting Indian-style on the thick branch of a tree, overhanging the playground equipment. The younger man was seemingly in a meditative trance and obviously oblivious to the Ouji's presence. Vegeta landed quietly on the ground under the tree, annoyed by not being noticed, and flared his ki to an un-ignorable level. 

Goku opened his eyes and looked down toward the Ouji, staring blankly for a moment before his eyes focused. Some strange look seemed to briefly flicker in the younger man's eyes, but Vegeta couldn't quite place it. 

"What are you doing here?" The prince questioned as he levitated up to stand on the top of the slide. 

When Goku had become overwhelmed with the desolation he felt in the valley, he'd decided to go to a place where it wasn't so lonely. There weren't a lot of people around, except for the school full of kids nearby and a few people passing on the quiet side street, but he'd come here for the energetic spirit that surrounded a place where children played. He could just sit and imagine them frolicking around carefree; full of vigorous youth and untainted curiosity. He wondered if he'd been like that as a child but he really couldn't remember much before Bulma had come into his life. 

"Uh…well I just came here to think." 

"Think? With what?" Vegeta said in a mocking way, slightly pissed that Kakarrot would intentionally skip out on their agreed-upon spar to sit around and do nothing. 

Goku frowned, not in the frame of mind to handle Vegeta's cynical remarks. Something clicked inside him and he snapped. "Did you come here just to hurl insults at me, or did you actually have something useful to say for once?" 

Vegeta's expression changed from mocking to barely concealed shock. It had been ages since Kakarrot took offense to his sarcasm and he couldn't remember a time when the man had ever actually snapped at him. It was obvious that something was bothering him. 

"What I want is to finish pounding you into the ground." 

Goku's anger fizzled just as quickly as it had ignited. He knew that he'd probably taken Vegeta's comments too seriously, and it wasn't like him to be short-tempered. It was just that Chichi's less than kind words and her unexpected departure had left him feeling emotionally raw and vulnerable. He was just trying to stop the pain and protect his feelings from any further injury. 

Goku looked away and sighed; his shoulders slumped and head down. He wasn't really in the mood for a spar. That much was apparent to the Ouji by his less than enthusiastic response to the proposal of a good fight. Vegeta realized that he was looking at a side of the man he'd never seen before. Kakarrot looked defeated. He'd never seen the man look so…depressed before. Not even at the prospect of defeat in battle. Kakarrot was eternally optimistic. Vegeta's heart clenched painfully in his chest at the sight and he struggled to fight down his emotions. 

"What the hell is your problem Kakarrot?" 

Goku contemplated just telling the Ouji what had happened. But would Vegeta call him weak for allowing his emotions to defeat him? It went against all logic, but Goku didn't think he'd be so callous. Since they'd met, Vegeta had been verbally abusive and abrasive, but Goku knew that deep down inside the prince didn't mean half the things he said. He may have at once, but Goku would like to believe that their relationship had changed over the years and they'd become allies now…maybe even friends. Vegeta had always been the only person to understand him. Usually better than he understood himself. He'd often helped Goku reconcile his instinctual Saiyanity with his psychological Humanity. Something that no one else had been able to do. It's a wonder he hadn't gone crazy over the years with the two contrasting ideologies fighting within him for dominance. 

He nodded to himself in silent reassurance that he should tell the prince what was going on…Vegeta would understand. And he didn't really see a point in keeping it a secret, considering it wouldn't stay that way for long anyway. Besides, he didn't want the prince to think that he didn't want him around. In actuality he was glad his prince had come...demeaning remarks and all. At least he didn't feel so lonely anymore.

Goku glanced up at Vegeta, but still didn't look him in the eye. "Chichi left me yesterday." He said...voice thick with barely suppressed emotion. He paused for a moment, waiting for the snide remark. The silence that greeted him instead encouraged him to continue. "She said I put my love of fighting before her and that I'd never given her what she needed..." He trailed off almost inaudibly, the solemn tears of regret threatening to spill forth at his revelation. He staved them off, refusing to cry in front of Vegeta. 

The prince wasn't fooled by Goku's front. He could see the pain and unshed tears just as clearly as he could see the daylight. He felt a slight pang of remorse that he'd been so insensitive before. Though he didn't know when he'd become sensitive in the first place. Pushing the thought from his mind, he instead focused on Kakarrot's declaration. So the onna had finally had enough and left. Vegeta wasn't at all surprised. They never did seem right together. Even though he was empathetic to Kakarrot's quandary, he couldn't say he was sad to see the crazy bitch go. The woman was the screechiest harridan he'd come across in a long time. Even his onna…well technically not his anymore, but even Bulma wasn't as difficult to put up with as Chichi. On more than one occasion he had to invoke all of his willpower to refrain from striking her down, knowing Kakarrot would be devastated by his mate's death. Wait…mate. The word struck in his mind and bounced around like an echo in an empty room. Suddenly something about this situation seemed odd. Vegeta wracked his memories of Saiyan mating customs, trying to remember all the details. If the screech had truly been Kakarrot's mate, she never could have left him. At least not unless Kakarrot had allowed it. 

So if that were the case…"Why did you _allow_ her to leave?" 

Goku furrowed his brow in confusion. Was the prince suggesting that he should have physically detained her to keep her from leaving? _'No, he knows I'd never do that. Perhaps he also believes that I'm a failure because I couldn't persuade her to stay?'_ His face blanched. The thought of Vegeta seeing him as a failure made him feel worse than he thought possible. 

"I tried to convince her to stay…tried to persuade her to work through things, but…she'd made up her mind already." He said dropping his head in shame. "…and there wasn't anything I could say to change it." 

That statement confirmed Vegeta's suspicions. He knew for a fact that Saiyans couldn't completely bond with any other species. It's inherent to their physiology…to insure survival of the race in it purest form. They can, however, form a partial bond with a non-Saiyan. And if the other is of a weaker mind, as humans are, the Saiyan retains a type of mental dominance. Such a bond can be completely severed at the Saiyan's inclination...but the submissive would never be able to leave the dominant of their own freewill. Obviously this wasn't the nature of Kakarrot's relationship with the onna. 

"Let me tell you something about Saiyan mating rituals…the way Saiyans bond. Do you know anything about it?" 

He shook his head negatively. 

Vegeta figured as much. He tried to think of the easiest way to explain such a complicated subject. "While you were with Chichi, did you ever experience her mind?" 

Goku frowned, confused by the concept of experiencing someone's mind. "You mean like telepathy?" 

"No, not quite…I mean have you ever experienced a profound understanding of her psyche…an insight into her thoughts, emotions, motivations, and desires that went far beyond the scope of understanding you've had for anything else…except perhaps your own thoughts, emotions, motivations and desires?" 

Goku didn't even have to think about it. He knew he'd never shared anything like that with Chichi. "Well…no. I never could understand where most of her thoughts were coming from. I often wished I could so that I could better understand her. Why do you ask?" 

"When two Saiyans mate they form a mental link with one another…a bond. They can feel each other's pain, emotions, and sometimes thoughts. Their lives become intertwined and one cannot survive without the other. It can only be broken by mutual agreement, meaning that both parties must agree to the split, otherwise it's impossible. Even if it is broken, there will always remain some type of residual connection between the two."

Goku contemplated the information Vegeta was giving him. It was probably one of the most ridiculous sounding things he'd ever heard, but then again he had once thought aliens were a ridiculous concept…until he found out that he was one. 

"But Chichi is human. I don't think humans are capable of things like that. I mean I've heard of psychics, but they're the exception, not the rule." 

"You didn't let me finish." Vegeta growled a bit annoyed. "Something relatively similar can be formed between a Saiyan and a non-Saiyan, but the strength of such a bond is only a shadow in comparison with the bond between two full-blooded Saiyans. It's true that relatively few humans know how to control their mental capabilities, but then again, it's not really necessary. If a Saiyan chooses to bond with a non-Saiyan, and that other person is of a species with inferior extrasensory capabilities, the Saiyan automatically becomes mentally dominant. The bond that is formed, however, remains partial and one-sided. And though humans may not be able to reciprocate the bond, the superior mental capability of the Saiyan is more than enough to influence the weaker mind. If you'd had that bond with her, then she wouldn't have been able to leave. Your influence over her mind would have been too great to allow it."

Vegeta paused to allow the information to sink in. "I always thought that was the reason she stuck around but apparently that wasn't the case."

"Well what if a Saiyan bonds with someone from a species with superior mental capabilities?"

"In that case it really just depends on the other species involved. There will be variations to the bond and the more closely related that species is to ours, the stronger it will be, but never complete. Saiyan mental dominance…or even equality is not guaranteed. In fact, most humanoid species…with the exception of humans themselves, and a few other species, have mental capabilities at least equal to, if not greater than that of Saiyans. That's why it was extremely rare to have a bond formed outside the race. No Saiyan wanted to give up their autonomy to a foreigner who may be harboring ulterior motives."

"I was aware that I had psychic abilities…I can read people's thoughts and discern their temperament…but I wasn't aware that I could form the kind of bond you're describing." 

"You don't have to know how to form a bond; just that you want to form one. The actual formation of the bond is instinctual. Only the decision to make the bond has to be made consciously." 

Well that sort of made sense to Goku, but it still didn't change a thing. "This is interesting and all, but what's the point in telling me this? Just to let me know that I never had her in the first place?" He said pain evident in his voice. 

It was then that Vegeta realized how truly polluted with asinine human ideas and emotions the other warrior's mind was. "Baka…It's to let you know that you were never supposed to have her. Physiologically you would never have been able to completely bond with a non-Saiyan anyway. But you never even formed the partial bond with her, though you had countless opportunities to do so. That simple fact screams so much more than you realize. Apparently you'd never really had the desire to bond with her."

Vegeta didn't know why he was even explaining all of this to Kakarrot. In a way he wanted to ease the other man's pain and he figured the knowledge that he wasn't supposed to be with the hellcat in the first place might help.

Goku mulled the information over in his head. If what Vegeta said is true, then he supposed he should feel better. But the truth was that now he felt worse. He truly loved his wife, and he believed that at one time she truly loved him also. But he had failed her miserably and now he was reaping the bitter harvest of the seeds he'd sown through neglect. He wished with all his heart that he could redo some things in the past, but he knew that wishing was futile. 

"Well, whatever. I don't really want to discuss it anymore." Goku said. 

Suddenly the nearby school bell rang and within mere seconds hundreds of small children had materialized and were laughing and running around the playground. The wary stares of suspicion they were receiving from some of the teachers didn't go unnoticed by pair of Saiyans either. 

One of the teachers approached the two men. "Excuse me but you're not allowed to be here unless you have a visitor's pass." 

Goku nodded as he stood; balancing precariously on the tree limb he'd been sitting on, before levitating a foot above it. He really wasn't ready to go home, and he couldn't stay there so maybe a spar wasn't such a bad idea after all. It would help him clear his thoughts and exhaust his body enough that he could get some sleep later on. 

"Well I suppose I could go for a good spar." He said to the Ouji that had also levitated several feet above the playground. 

Vegeta smirked and nodded…this is what he'd been waiting for. 

They took off into the air amid shocked gasps from the adults and squealing laughter from the kids. 

*** 

"I'm having lunch with the vice president today. Would you care to join us?" Bulma asked through the intercom. Since this Ian's first day she thought she'd at least offer. And she really didn't think Trunks would mind. 

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm meeting a friend for lunch today." 

"Okay, but you owe me lunch sometime this week. My treat." She said. 

"Sure thing Bulma." Ian said before the connection was severed. 

*** 

Ian scrawled his signature across the invoice for the supplies that had just been delivered, and gave the paper back to the deliveryman standing in front of his desk. He stood and walked to the cabinet to start putting up the supplies…his back to the door. He didn't notice that as the man left someone else entered through the still open door. 

Trunks wasn't expecting to see anyone as he walked into the office. He silently watched the dark-haired man, momentarily forgetting his reason for coming in the first place. He noted how smooth and fluid his movements were, like a fighter, even while performing such a menial task. 

Ian felt like he was being watched. His skin was prickly and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He turned around suddenly only to come face to face with a handsome young man with short lavender hair and eyes the same deep ocean blue as Bulma's. Immediately he recognized the man from his news photos as the Vice-President. He was undeniably unnerved by the fact that someone could sneak up on him, and fought to keep his unease from becoming perceptible. 

But Trunks was well aware. He wrinkled his nose, his keen sense of smell detecting the ever slight increase in adrenaline that signified anxiety. He became suspicious of the man but before he could ask him who he was, the man spoke. 

"Good afternoon Mr. Briefs. I'm Ian Mori…Ms. Briefs' new assistant." He said bowing slightly in a respectful gesture. 

Trunks was surprised to see that his mother had already filled the position. The way she was acting yesterday, he thought it would be at least a few more weeks until she found someone qualified. This man was obviously not a temp because he was wearing the security badge that was only issued to full-time personnel. 

"Nice to meet you Ian. I'm here to pick up Ms. Briefs. Is she available?" Trunks asked. 

As Ian walked back to his desk, Trunks noticed that his earlier mesmerizing fluidity of motion had suddenly taken a back seat to his uneasiness. He stood in front of the desk and observed him as he talked to Bulma over the intercom. 

"I'll be out in a few minutes." Bulma said through the small box on the desk. 

_'Just enough time for me to ask some questions.' _Trunks thought.

"I have to say I'm a bit surprised that my mother hired you. I was under the impression that she was still in the interview stages of her search. I wasn't aware that she'd actually been considering someone." 

"Actually she interviewed me yesterday. She was impressed by my qualifications so she hired me on the spot." 

Trunks quirked his eyebrow…the only outward sign of his incredulity. _'On the spot? How strange.' _His mother never did impulsive things…well not when it came to business anyway. In her everyday life, she was amazingly impulsive. That's how he'd been conceived. But she was never that in business. He wondered what could have impressed her enough to hire him on the spot. 

"Well Ian, tell me about yourself." Trunks said, focusing his piercing blues on the man in front of him. 

Ian was feeling more than a little uncomfortable under Trunks scrutiny. He shifted nervously under the gaze, which didn't go unnoticed by the demi-Saiyan. Though the hue was the same, something about his eyes was different from Bulma's. They seemed more discerning. He'd heard that the VP was much more astute than the President. Rumors had it that Trunks Briefs had a friendly, civil demeanor, but when it came to business he was shrewd and cunning. And from what he saw in Trunks eyes, the rumors had to be true. Had he known of Trunks' heritage, he would have known that these rumors were not only true, but were the direct influence of his father's warrior-like mentality. 

"Well…I've been an executive assistant for more than 8 years, mostly spent traveling abroad. I recently decided to settle back in West City and I've been seeking employment ever since…" Ian said, relaying a few more of the finer points of his experience. He hoped it would be enough to quench Trunks' curiosity. 

Trunks' gaze never strayed from Ian as he contemplated the situation. How could his mother hire somebody that she'd only interviewed once and didn't really know anything about? Sure, he seemed to have experience, but nothing that was overly impressive. 

"You said 'settle back in West city'. Is this where you're from?" 

"Well...yes originally..." he said trying to keep any nervousness from his voice. 

The double doors to Bulma's private office swung open and she entered the room. 

"I'm ready." She said, completely oblivious to the tension that was strung between the two men like a rope. 

Trunks stood and they headed toward the door. 

"Let's take a long lunch today Ian. We'll resume work at two. Just transfer the phones to the main receptionist's desk until then." 

Ian nodded…an audible sigh of relief escaping as the doors closed behind them. He mentally berated himself for being so inept while talking to Trunks, but something about the younger man made him uneasy. Maybe it was the rumors or the way the man seemed to analyze him so meticulously. He wasn't really sure, but he'd have to watch his step around him. 

*** 

Trunks and Bulma were seated in a private booth in a posh restaurant near the Capsule Corp headquarters. It was one of their favorite places to dine since the food was excellent and they always seemed to have enough to feed an army at short notice. The waiter had just left from taking their order and they were pretty much alone. 

"So mom…what's up with your new secretary?" 

Bulma smiled brightly. "Isn't he great? He was my last interview yesterday, and he was perfectly suited for the position. I couldn't have stumbled across a better candidate if I'd created him myself." 

Trunks shook his head. His mother's enthusiasm over the guy was questionable at best. "You hired him right on the spot…without doing a background check?" 

Bulma waved her hand dismissively. "Trunks you worry too much. He seemed fine to me…and I've always been a pretty good judge of character." 

"I don't know mom. He seems too good to be true. I mean…do you really believe in serendipity." He said skeptically, wondering if his mother had really felt anxious enough to hire someone she knew so little about. 

"Oh Trunks…that's just your father's influence coming out. He doesn't trust anyone and neither do you. For years he thought that Goku, of all people, was out to get him." She said laughing. 

Trunks couldn't help but laugh also. "Okay, I get your point. Maybe I am just being a bit paranoid. Let's just focus on something other than business." He said, pushing Ian to the back of his mind. 

*** 

****

Ian stopped his new company car outside a popular little café a few miles away from Capsule Corp. It was situated in the West City Art District, an area rich in venerated history and eclectic culture. The famous West City Museum for the Arts was located just two blocks away from where he was now, and the Shultz School of Contemporary Performing Arts was only a few miles farther. Many of the people that lived here were talented up-and-coming painters, sculptors, and writers. Several world-renowned artists had spent time living there, soaking up the aesthetic of the atmosphere. 

Ian hopped out of the car and encapped it, before going inside. The place was packed wall to wall with other people on their lunch breaks. He scanned the dense crowd, hoping that his lunch date had already arrived and procured a table. It took him a few moments before he saw her sitting at a table near the back of the room. He almost didn't recognize her…her long flowing tresses of silky black hair hanging freely in a style he'd never seen her wear before. He made his way through the room and slid into the vacant seat across from her. 

Smiling across the table he said, "It's really good to see you again Chichi." 

…Tbc… 

A/N: What does he mean 'again'? How do Chichi and Ian know each other? I can't wait to find out what happens next...how 'bout you? Only one way to let me know. Review! Review! Review! 

Want to be notified when I update? Let me know by email or in your review. 

kaineko@hotmail.com 

www.anzwers.org/free/kaineko 


	6. When It Rains 05

No warnings to speak of but any anime characters referenced in this story belong to their respective owner…not me.

**When it Rains**

By: Kaineko__

**__**

**_Chapter 05_**

"Thanks for meeting me Ian.  It seems like ages since I last saw you."  She said though it had actually only been a few weeks.

"I was glad you called.  I'd been looking forward to seeing you again."  He said.

Chichi smiled across at the man she considered to be a friend.  She'd met him a while back, at an art exhibit and they hit it off immediately.  He seemed able to stimulate her intellect far more than anyone else ever had and she really enjoyed his company.

_~Flashback~_

The painting was supposed to be a powerful and moving piece depicting the topic of dominance and submissiveness in a relationship between a man and a woman.  But to Chichi it was utterly strange and disturbing.  It showed a man asserting his dominance by brutally victimizing a woman, presumably his wife.  The bad part about the whole thing was that all of his paintings were about the same subject and always depicted some man controlling and brutalizing an utterly defenseless woman.

"So what do you think?  Really?"  Someone asked her.

She turned toward the man standing next to her that she hadn't noticed before.

"Honestly…I think it's one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen…And in extremely poor taste."  She said.

The man smiled, flashing the most perfect set of white teeth she'd ever seen.  "I have to agree with you.  The way he portrays women as the eternal victim is so blatantly misogynistic that it's sickening.  His view of reality is completely skewed."

Several people around them, including the artist himself, turned and stared at the two.  They were at a premier of one of art society's most revered new artists…highly touted for his 'accurate depiction of the state of roles between the sexes'.  That's the only reason Chichi had attended.  Had she known what this was really all about she never would have come.

"I'd be careful not to offend if I were you.  I don't think he takes too kindly to open criticism of his talent.  And I use the term talent loosely."  She quipped.

The stranger laughed.  It was a deep rich melodic sound that felt like heaven against her ears.  "Please allow me to introduce myself.  I'm Ian Mori."  He said and kowtowed slightly in a gesture of greeting.

Chichi returned the gesture politely.  "Nice to meet you.  I'm Chichi Son."

"So," Ian said, "are you in the field?"

"The field?" She asked.

"Are you an artist?"

Chichi got a wistful look.  "No…I'm just a lover of art."

"You say that in such a disappointed way."

"Well, I would love to fancy myself a connoisseur…but that just isn't the case."  She said.

"Oh, I see."  He said.

"So what about you?  Are you a critic, buyer, or something?"

"Me?  No.  I'm just a lover like you."

A man standing just behind them butted into the conversation.  "Just a lover of art.  So what gives you the right to criticize something that you know absolutely nothing about?"  The man said in a thick accent from who knew where, but definitely far from Japan.

The two turned toward the man, realizing that he was the aforementioned artist.

"I never said I know nothing about art.  You just assumed from the context of a conversation that wasn't directed toward you."  Ian said in defense of his position.

"I have every right to defend my work.  I resent being censured by a novice."

"I don't have to be an art critic to realize that your work is not only second-rate, but your viewpoint is warped and sadistic at best."  Ian said watching in satisfaction as his face turned red with anger and embarrassment.  It seemed everyone within hearing distance was watching the exchange intently.  Chichi, being one that never bit her tongue, found it all amusing.  She completely agreed with his viewpoint.

"Now, if you'd kindly excuse me, I'd like to return to the lovely conversation I was having, before you joined."  Ian said, turning his back to Chichi and effectively silencing any further discussion.

"Listen, I hope I don't sound forward, but would you like to leave this distasteful exhibit and grab a cup of tea with me?"  He asked.

"Well I don't know…"  Chichi hesitated.  She'd just met him, but she liked him already.  He had a fire that was appealing, but would it be a good idea to just leave with some strange man or should she turn him down?  He seemed nice enough, but that didn't make him safe.

As if reading her mind he added, "There's a great little café about two blocks away.  We could leave our cars encapped and just take a nice stroll.  What do you say?"

She thought about it for a few minutes.  It was the middle of the afternoon, still daylight outside; there shouldn't be any real danger.  Besides, she was beyond ready to leave, but she still wasn't ready to return home.  It would be several more hours before Goku made it there, and she already had the meat for dinner thawed.  "Okay, let's go."  She said.

They left the museum and walked through the surrounding neighborhood, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells.  The people were interesting characters, filling the area with a diversity that Chichi wasn't accustomed to.  Every corner seemed bustling with life…so unlike her quiet, lonely mountain home.  Only a quarter of an hour later, they arrived at a nice café that served an assortment of coffee, tea, and light food.  They sat talking, completely losing track of the time as the hours passed.  Chichi had never felt more alive than she did now.  Ian's friendly demeanor and easy conversation lent themselves well to his overall charming persona and he turned out to be quite the gentleman.  She found herself thoroughly mesmerized, and by the end of their meal she was reluctant to leave.  It wasn't surprising that when he told her of another upcoming art series, and invited her along, she jumped at the opportunity.

It wasn't until later that she started thinking about the ramifications of her new friendship on her marriage.  Goku had never been the jealous type, but somewhere in her mind she would like to think that her husband would be insanely jealous if she had a male friend.  She'd always believed in being appropriate, and was sure that having a male friend wouldn't be seen as proper.  She also felt a bit guilty that she could enjoy spending time with a man other than her husband, but the fact was that she had enjoyed herself.  Pushing the thought from her head, she had to focus on getting dinner ready.  She'd stayed out far later than she'd expected to and she didn't want to explain why dinner was so late.

Later that day Goku came home.  She frowned disdainfully at his appearance.  He'd been sparring with Vegeta again, and his torn and dirty clothes were a testament to the intensity of their spar.

"Hey Chi, something smells delicious."  He said standing behind her at the stove and trying to sneak a peek in one of the pots she had cooking.  She smacked his hand to shoo him away.

"Not with those dirty hands.  Go get ready for dinner."  She said more annoyed than she usually was.

Goku could tell she wasn't in the best mood, and figured that he'd done something wrong again.  But for the life of him he wasn't able to figure out what.  

"Okay."  He said but as he turned to leave, he caught the whiff of several foreign smells on his wife.  

"Did you go shopping again today?"  He asked.

"No."

"Where did you go?"  It was strange that she'd gone out without mentioning it this morning.  Normally she made a big fuss about having to go to the market so often, or having to shop for new gis because he'd destroyed so many.  Maybe something had upset his wife while she was out and for once he wasn't the cause of her eternal irritation.

Chichi swallowed nervously.  She hadn't told her husband she was even going anywhere that day.  How could he know?  "What makes you think I went somewhere?"

Goku smiled faintly, fingering the sleeve of her shirt.  "I can smell it on you.  You smell like coffee and cigarette smoke.  It's really strong…in the fibers of your clothes and hair."  He said matter-of-factly.  Not noticing the guilty look on his wife's face.

Damn her husband's keen animalistic sense of smell.  She'd forgotten that he would be able to smell things that she'd come in contact with or strong scents that she'd been around.  He would have even been able to pick up Ian's scent if she'd touched him.

"I went to an art exhibit today…in the city.  Afterward, I stopped by a little café for a bite."  She said as nonchalantly as she could.

"Oh, that sounds nice.  Well, I'm going to take a shower.  I'll be down in a few minutes."  He said; his attention already on something else.

Chichi watched him retreat up the stairs, a bit resentful of her husband's cursory curiosity.  '_It figures his interest in my day would only be fleeting.'_

After that, Chichi began passing time with her friend pretty regularly.  She'd never cheated on Goku, not even when he was dead, and she wasn't about to entertain the idea now.  Yet they still spent time talking and really getting to know one another.  To her delight, she found out that he liked many of the same things that she liked.  It was almost uncanny how much they had in common. The kinds of food they liked, the types of movies they enjoyed, and the topics of conversation they agreed on.  Ian had an excellent ear for listening, and often times she felt that she could unload her problems on him.  The plus was that he always offered her sound advice, and for that she was grateful.

It was always with reluctance that she left him after they spent time together.  And she always remembered to shower after she'd been out, not wanting Goku to find out about her friendship.  It was something that she wanted to keep to herself, and she felt it would be cheapened somehow if it didn't remain her little secret.  It just felt good like sneaking chocolate while you're on a diet.

Every now and then, she was hit with a wave of guilt.  But she always rationalized her new relationship by saying that she and Ian were only friends.  Nothing was wrong with having a friend who just happened to be the opposite sex.  After all, Goku's best friend was Bulma.

~End Flashback~

Ian's smooth, melodic voice sliced through her reverie like a knife through butter, bringing her thoughts back to the present.  "So Chichi…what's been going on with you lately?"

"A lot of things."  She said smiling nervously.  "For one I decided to move on with my own life and start living for myself.  I left my husband yesterday."  She said matter-of-factly.

Ian became somber, silently contemplating her words for a few moments.  The clanking of dishes and the murmured snippets of other conversations kept the silence from becoming uncomfortable.  "Well, I can't say that I'm happy your marriage ended, but I can say that I'm glad you finally took my advice.  It really was way overdue."  He said.

Chichi was thankful for her friend's support.  "At first I thought it would be too difficult to leave and start over, but as I thought about it I realized that it was truly what I needed to do to keep myself sane.  And I don't regret my decision.  I'm just relieved the whole charade and false pretense of happiness has ended.  I can't tell you how glad I am that you helped me see the situation for what it really was.  I'm glad you helped me realize what I was missing out of life."  She said thinking that it was ashamed that Goku wasn't more like Ian.  Maybe then it could have worked out.

"I'm glad that I could help.  A special lady like you, needs someone that appreciates her, and from the way you described him, it's apparent that he never did."

"You're right.  I never had any of his attention.  It was always one thing or another, but never me."  She said trailing off because she was starting to get angry all over again.  "Anyway…that's enough about that.  I'm trying to put it behind me and move on, so let's talk about something else.  What's been going on with you lately?"

Ian shrugged his shoulders.  "Oh the same old stuff…nothing unusual."  He said lightheartedly.  "I just happen to have two tickets to Masaka's new play are you up to it?"  He asked knowing that she was a big Masaka fan.

Chichi's eyes lit up.  "Definitely.  I've been wanting to go for a while.  I can't wait."

"Great.  I'll pick you up on Saturday at 7."

Chichi smiled.  It was nice to be around someone that was interested in the same things she was interested in.  Her life was already starting to look up.

***

That afternoon, Trunks sat at his desk leafing through an overwhelming stack of papers.  It really was no more than usual, but he just couldn't seem to focus long enough to complete the documents.  His thoughts kept wandering down the hall to his mother's office.  He had gone along with Bulma at lunch, agreeing that maybe he was just being paranoid, but something about Ian still didn't feel right.  He'd met him again that afternoon in a meeting to introduce him to everyone else, and the man still didn't sit well with him.  Trunks had always relied on his instincts, but unlike now, they rarely disagreed with his logic.  Rationally, there wasn't one thing that Trunks could pinpoint that the man had either said or done to provoke his suspicions, but yet and still he had.  Ian, as an overall package seemed phony.  

Reaching over a shorter stack of papers, Trunks found the intercom and pressed the button to ring his secretary.

"Yes Mr. Briefs."

"Get Thomas Ragland on the phone for me."  He said.  

"Yes sir."  Hinako said before severing the connection.  A few minutes later the phone in his office rang and Trunks picked it up.

"Hello Thomas, this is Trunks Briefs."  

"Ah Trunks…it's good to hear from you.  What can I do for you today?"

Thomas was one of the foremost detectives in West City and he and Trunks had worked together on a few occasions.  He'd been a crucial factor in helping them crack down on several employees that were selling top-secret Capsule Corp. technology to the rivals.  "I need some info, sort of a background check of a new employee."

"A background check huh.  Well you know that's not normally my thing.  I'm more of a surveillance type guy.  Besides doesn't your human resources department usually handle stuff like that **before** you hire someone?"

"Usually, but this isn't a run-of-the-mill background check.  I need something more…thorough."

"More thorough?  Sounds intriguing.  Do you suspect something?"

"Well maybe.  Something just feels wrong."

There was silence on the line for a few moments.  Trunks assumed he was thinking it over.  "You've whet my curiosity Trunks, as usual.  Fax me the information and I'll get right on it."

"Great.  I knew you were the man to call."  He said before hanging up.

***

Goku sat reclined against his rock on the banks of the same stream from earlier that day.  It was hard, but smooth and cool against his back.  Several fish and bones littered the banks of the river, paying testament to his completed dinner.  The few leftovers would have to serve as his breakfast in the morning, and satisfy his hearty appetite.  At some point he'd have to go shopping to stock up on some of his main staples like rice, eggs, and milk, but he was in no hurry.  That had always been Chichi's thing, and the mere thought of it made him cringe.  He'd eventually venture off to a grocery store, but in the meantime, he'd continue to fish or hunt to sustain himself.

Everything around him had become stiller and considerably quieter.  The valley was more calming and serene with less noise, creating a relaxing environment.  He was alone now but Vegeta had hung around for a short while after their spar had ended, before he finally left.  That was several hours ago, and now the day was transitioning into late afternoon.

Goku smiled faintly as he remembered Vegeta's ostensible reluctance to leave him alone.  The prince's concern…now there's a concept that seemed completely foreign...was obvious even to Goku.  He had seemed genuinely concerned about Goku's feelings.  Though he hadn't explicitly invited him to Capsule Corp. for dinner, Goku had known the invitation was there.  Of course, the Ouji tried to hide it, but his normally stoic, uncaring mask seemed to be ill-fitting today.  The prince just couldn't seem to stay in character.  Every gesture that he made spoke volumes of his true feelings even though he remained tacit.  Goku could see the gesture for what it was…a silent offering of strength…the prince's own strength to help crutch him against the storm of his life.  Vegeta's story about Saiyan bonding, their intense sparring match where he'd been forced to concentrate only on the blows that were being thrown, and the little fact that the prince had remained for so long after the spar ended.

The younger man recognized these signs, even if Vegeta himself hadn't.  And in many ways he was truly grateful to have such a good friend.  Yes…most definitely a friend.  Goku had been correct in his presumption about their relationship.  He and Vegeta had become more than just reluctant allies over the years.  A strange feeling of euphoria welled up within him from somewhere unknown.  It seemed completely inappropriate given the current state of his life, but it was there nonetheless.  But why was it there?  Why did he feel such elation at the prospect of having Vegeta as a friend?  For a long time the desire had been there, to share something deep and profound with the enigmatic Prince of his lost race.  It had always lingered on the outskirts of his conscious awareness…but he'd never truly been aware until now.

He shifted and lay down in the cool grass, staring up at the stars.  Now that it had become so apparent that their relationship was taking a shift, he didn't know what to think of it.  His delight had grown considerably at the realization of the change in his status in Vegeta's eyes.  At the same time his fear grew exponentially.  Now that he had gained some revered place in the Ouji's life, how long would he keep it?  How long would it be before he said or did something that would cause him to lose face in the Prince's mind?  Could he really live up to his expectations of a friend?  Goku already knew that they had to be high expectations since there weren't many that the prince actually called friend.  To be placed in such a high position, higher than any pedestal his friends had ever placed him on, was both a gift and a curse.  If he fell from such a height, he'd surely never recover.  The damage would be far greater than anything he'd ever sustained.

He sighed disheartened as his short-lived happiness deflated to nothing more than dull disappointment.  He pushed the slightly confusing thoughts of Vegeta from his mind to be contemplated later.  He remained motionless, listening as the familiar sounds of diurnal animals slowly changed to those of their nocturnal brothers.  His thoughts wandered to many different places, but he kept finding himself thinking back on what Vegeta had said to him earlier.  He wondered if it really were true…maybe he hadn't been meant for Chichi.  At first they seemed to have a lot in common.  They were both skilled fighters, and in the beginning that was all that really mattered to Goku.  But as the years passed, the commonality of their interest began to wane.  Goku's love of fighting increased drastically, while Chichi's did just the opposite.  Soon they looked around and found that they really didn't have anything in common anymore.  He thought about all their years together.  Had any actually been good?  He'd always thought so.  For the most part, he did whatever he wanted.  He never really took her ranting and fussing to heart, thinking it was just her worrying about him.  But perhaps that was the problem.  He never took her seriously.  Now it was too late, he'd driven her away and somewhere deep in his heart, he knew it was for good.

Goku shifted a bit, fighting to keep his weary eyes open.  He'd barely slept the night before, and it was starting to catch up to him.  Overwhelmed by fatigue, his eyes slipped shut and he allowed his body to relax to the sound of the nearby stream.  Within minutes he was fitfully asleep under the evening sky…though his mind was still awhirl with a cacophony of thoughts.

***

'Family Dinner at Capsule Corp'…what a joke.  Even the name the onna had given the little event was laughable.  There was no one there but the two of them, and occasionally Trunks.  When the boy had been younger, she'd insisted they all eat together at least once a week to keep each other 'informed' of what was going on in their lives.  At first Vegeta had wanted absolutely no part in it whatsoever.  He'd refused vehemently to participate in some idiotic familial bonding ritual that was so asinine it bordered on foolish.  Sharing his life in such a way was just something he wasn't used to doing, and there was no reason that he could see to start now.  But to the woman's credit, she was smart.  Smarter in fact than most.  She'd watched Vegeta for a while and noticed something that most people never had.  The fact that the seemingly wild, impulsive, carefree Saiyan was actually a creature of habit.  No one had ever been insightful enough to notice how truly regimented his life was.  His routine, though perfectly structured and coherent in his mind, appeared just the opposite to everyone else.  He usually did things like eat, train, shower, and sleep at set times.  It was just that those times differed depending not only on the day of the week, but also on the week of the month.  He'd always kept the same schedule, even through dramatic shifts in his life.  Bulma of all people had noticed and exploited that knowledge to her advantage in many things…the family meals being just one.

At first he thought it merely coincidence that these family meals were going on at the same time that he took his meals, then he realized what the onna had been doing.  Pissed off to no end, he thought to spite her by deliberately taking his meals off-schedule.  But he always seemed to return to what was familiar, and eventually gave up trying to fight it.

So there Vegeta sat, eating a fairly decent catered meal…emphasis on catered being that Bulma's endless creativity somehow deserted her in the kitchen.  Bulma was sitting across from him, and Trunks was MIA as usual these days, which was just as well, though without the boy's presence he suffered through Bulma's incessant chatter alone.  At this particular moment he could care less about the latest news on Capsule Corp or their new line of whatever.  Only one thing was on his mind.  Kakarrot…the man that had been an enigma to him for all the years they'd known each other.  But what was really more puzzling was his feelings for the baka.  That was the thing.  The fact that he had feelings for the other man and he knew that they didn't involve murder or defeat.  So what did they involve?  Thinking about their conversation from earlier he remembered Kakarrot's nearly tearful declaration that he was no longer hitched to that sadistic bitch.  Even now memories of the plethora of feelings that had flowed through him threatened to overwhelm his senses, and they were merely memories.  He'd felt elation and relief and some weird emotion that he just now realized was hope, all rolled up into one tangled jumble of incoherence.  Then he looked at Kakarrot again.  Looked at the sheer pain and feelings of abandonment etched in those normally happy features…marring the beautiful face of a man that had known too much pain and loss in his life, none of which he'd ever deserved.  It was then that the Ouji's heart tumbled.  He'd been a bit sarcastic with the other man…but he hadn't meant to hurt him.  He'd never meant to compound his pain…pain that Vegeta hadn't been aware of at the time.  He was just being his usual callous self.  And how he'd regretted it afterward.  He told Kakarrot about Saiyan mating rituals in an attempt to ease the other man's pain.  He'd told him that he wasn't meant for chichi as she was not meant for him.  But none of it seemed to have helped.  

Later, when they sparred he'd been unrelenting in his battle tactics.  He pushed and pushed Kakarrot, pummeling him with blow after blow.  It wasn't out of sick pleasure that he threw himself into the fight so wholeheartedly; it was out of necessity.  He wanted to take Kakarrot's mind off his troubles and force the other man to concentrate on their battle.  He had succeeded somewhat…the other man had fought with the intensity he was known for and Vegeta had relished every single agonizingly pleasurable minute of it.  But it was over all too soon…much time had elapsed, blood had been spilled, bruises had been formed and the two warriors had been spent.  They sat on a river bluff afterward in silence.  Vegeta had stuck around, perhaps a bit longer than had been necessary.  He wondered if Kakarrot would come to Capsule Corp to eat with them today.  But the other warrior had made subtle hints that he would not come.  Maybe it was because of yesterday's incident, or maybe he just wanted to be alone.  Whatever the reason Vegeta had respected his wishes.  Truth be told, he'd needed to get away from Kakarrot.  His confusing emotions were too much for him to handle now, let alone when he was in the other man's presence.  He needed to purge himself of the weakness that feeling anything for Kakarrot was causing.

"…was Goku today?"

Vegeta looked up, startled from his reverie by the caustic sound of Kakarrot's earth name.  The very man that had just been occupying his mind.  Pink rushed to his cheeks and he felt like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing.

"What was that onna?"

"I said, 'How was Goku today?' Was he feeling any better?"

Vegeta contemplated the question.  The answer wasn't just a simple yes or no…it was both.  Yes Kakarrot's sudden nausea was gone, and physically he was fine, but emotionally…well he was a wreck.

"Actually I think he's feeling better as far as whatever was wrong with him yesterday."  Vegeta answered leaving the rest unsaid.  He really didn't want to elaborate any further or get into a discussion about it.  One thing he knew for sure…things were about to change.  He could feel it in his Saiyan sixth sense.  But what he didn't know was would it be a change for the better.

*****Several Weeks later*****

The calm gray of dawn and a still mostly sleeping sun greeted Gohan as he landed noiselessly outside of his childhood home.  The spring mornings were still a little cool and his above average body temperature caused a white puff of steam to curl from his lips as he sighed.  Sunrise was always later in the mountains simply because of the high altitude and vast shroud of trees.  Some say the gods made there homes in the mountains.  Gohan knew it to be false by virtue of his acquaintance with the earth's god, but he could see why people thought so.  Breathtakingly beautiful was the only way to describe his surroundings with its dense lush foliage, and unspoiled vistas.  One day he was going to move back here.

He hadn't been to visit in a while, his hectic work schedule keeping him extremely busy.  Too busy in fact to talk to either of his parents in what seemed like ages.  But for the past few days he'd been trying to phone them only to receive a recording saying that the phone was temporarily out of service.  Earlier that week a strong spring thunderstorm had swept through the mountain district and it wasn't uncommon for their utilities to fall victim during bad weather.  But as the week progressed without restoration of the service, he got worried and decided it would be best to just go up there and check on them.

He noted that things had certainly changed since the last time he visited.  Though the house wasn't down right filthy, it wasn't nearly as immaculate as his obsessive mother normally kept it.  He scrunched his nose at the scent of stale air that permeated the room.  He was certain that the windows hadn't been opened to air the house in a while.  Many things were out of place, and some of Goku's dirty gis lay in various piles around the room.  The curtains were drawn blocking out the daylight and the only light visible was coming from a table lamp near the couch.  Gohan began to worry a bit.  His mother was always up at this hour and she was a notoriously clean person.  She'd have to be sick, or dead to let her house get in this shape.

The demi-Saiyan walked through the house searching each room for any sign of either of his parents.  If his mother was feeling under the weather, then she'd probably be in bed he figured climbing the stairs.  When he made it to their room he was surprised to find that it too was in disarray but there was no one inside.  He continued past the room checking each door as he proceeded down the hall.  When he reached the bathroom at the end of the hall.  He looked inside the slightly ajar door, relief flooding across him and soliciting a sigh.

***

The rapidly cooling water in the over-filled tub lapped up around Goku's nude form, some splashing messily over the sides with his every subtle movement.  His head was resting awkwardly against the back tile wall and his legs were locked against the other end to keep him from slipping down under the water.  His eyes were closed to the sterile light flooding from the overhead fixture, and his breathing was low and steady.  This was the scene that Gohan walked in on.

It was immediately apparent to the demi-Saiyan that his father was asleep, but what wasn't apparent was why in the bathtub, and where was his mother.  He stepped fully into the room and called his father's name several times to rouse him from slumber.  Goku groaned and stirred, causing more water to splash over the sides and almost into Gohan's shoes.

"Dad…Dad.  Wake up.  You're spilling water all over the place."  He said.

Goku mumbled a bit before opening his eyes and staring unfocused at his son.  It took him a few confused moments to realize where he was and who was standing in front of him.

Gohan immediately noticed his father's dark, weary eyes.  Goku was slightly pale and shivering from the cold.

"Gohan, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see about you and mom.  I haven't been able to get through to you in a few days.  What's going on?  Are you feeling okay?"  He said, once again looking at his father's pallid complexion.

At the mention of Chichi, realization dawned on Goku and woke him up fully.  He hadn't told his sons that Chichi had left him and apparently she hadn't either.  He sighed audibly and stood up unplugging the drain.  He knew that he had to discuss this with Gohan, he had a right to know.  But this wasn't exactly a conversation he wanted to have while sitting naked in uncomfortable tepid water.

"I'm fine, just give me a minute to get dressed.  We need to talk."  He said stepping out as his son stepped back to give him room.

Gohan didn't like the sound of that at all but he didn't push for details.  He just nodded and left to go wait in the living room.  He needed to know what was going on though he had a feeling he wouldn't like it.  Goku dried off before going to his room and getting dressed.  A few minutes later, he descended the stairs into the living room to find his son sitting in a chair waiting anxiously.  He sat on the couch across from Gohan and paused for a moment to think of where to begin.

The young man's nerves were becoming more and more frayed by the minute.  Something major was going on and he couldn't imagine what.  Hundreds of scenarios flowed through his head, each one worse than the last until he couldn't take the suspense anymore.  His father's silence and his own pessimism proved too much for the young man's patience.

"Dad, what the hell is going on?  Mom's not here, I haven't been able to get through in days, the house is a wreck, and you look like shit."  He blurted.

Goku was taken aback for a moment.  Did he really look that bad?  He hadn't really noticed.  He'd been pretty much on autopilot for weeks and his sleep deprivation was reaching a critical point.  Since he hadn't thought of a more tactful way of broaching the subject he decided on the straightforward approach.

"Your mom…Gohan…Chichi left me."

"What!  When?!  What happened?!"

Goku swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat.  "A couple of weeks ago.  She said I wasn't a good enough husband…that I never put her first in my life or gave her what she needed.  Maybe she was right.  I guess I could have been a better husband.  I feel like such a failure."  He said dejectedly.

The younger man was shocked into silence.  He wasn't naïve to the fact that sometimes marriages fail, but he never thought his parents' marriage would end.  Of all the scenarios that popped into his head, that hadn't been one of them.  It just never crossed his mind that it was even a possibility.  Maybe if he had been able to look at their family with an unbiased eye, he would have seen it coming.  But now that he thought about it, his parent's personalities clashed significantly.  His father was the always-happy free-spirit type, and his mother was a more serious, everything-in-its place type of person.  But they always seemed to love each other, and they never let on that they were having serious marital problems.

"I guess I was just blind to the fact that you two were having problems dad.  I mean…I just never saw this coming."

"If you were blind to it then I was blind, deaf, and dumb.  I never realized things had escalated to this point.  I always assumed everything was fine.  Guess I was wrong."

"Well…where is mom now?"  He asked, wondering why someone hadn't told him about this sooner.

"I don't really know.  She made it perfectly clear that she didn't want anything more to do with me, and I didn't think it wise to push her."

"Well it's strange that she hasn't called me to at least tell me what's going on, and I talked to Goten just 2 days ago, I'm sure she hasn't told him either."

"Don't worry about it.  She probably just needs a little time to get herself together.  I'm sure she'll contact you when she's ready."  He said trying to reassure his son.

A few minutes of silence lapsed as Gohan once again looked around the disheveled room.  "How have you been holding up dad?  Have you been eating okay?"

"I've been managing.  My diet pretty much consists of fish and wild game.  It's been pretty bland but it'll suffice.  I wouldn't mind having a bit of variety, but I haven't had a chance to go grocery shopping.  I just haven't had the desire or the energy."

"No energy?  Why not?"  Gohan asked knowing full well that his father could generate enough energy to power all of Japan.

"I haven't really been sleeping well since all of this started."  He said not wanting to elaborate any further.  He didn't want to tell his son about all the disturbing dreams that kept him up in the middle of the night, or the fact that some nights he wasn't able to go to sleep for fear of something dark and evil that he couldn't even define.  He really didn't think it had anything to do with Chichi's departure, but the fact that they coincided seemed unlikely to be, well mere coincidence.

They continued to sit in silence, thinking about their family situation when suddenly everything went dark.  The only exception was the few streams of light that filtered in through cracks in the curtains.  They looked around a bit confused until Gohan felt a low ki signature from outside.

"What just happened?"  He asked getting up and walking out the door with Goku behind him.  They noticed a white hover van parked in the yard and a man in a blue uniform with the words 'East District Electric' printed on the back.  Gohan looked at his father, "You forget to pay the light bill?"

"Well…uh, I guess Chichi always did that too."  He said sheepishly.

Gohan just shook his head as the man approached them.  "It didn't look like anyone was home.  Which one of you is Son Goku?"

"That's me."

The man gave him a piece of paper.  "You must pay this amount in full before power can be restored."

Gohan took the paper from his father's hand and studied it.  "It says that this bill is several weeks past due.  Dad did you get any prior notice of this?"

Goku shook his head negatively.  But the man spoke up.  "The collection department has been trying to reach you for over a week, but they couldn't get through.  We'd much rather not have to come way up here…it's completely out of the way.  But your bill is quite a bit past due, and we couldn't contact you so we really had no choice."

"Your phone is probably disconnected for the same reason dad."

"The phone is disconnected too?"  Goku asked.

"You mean you didn't notice?"

"No…I mean…I don't really use it often."  Goku said now realizing how much he'd actually been on autopilot.

The Electric man cut into the conversation.  "If you pay it at the office by 2 pm, I'll come back up here and reconnect it today.  That way your refrigerator isn't off for too long and your food won't spoil."

"That's not really an issue since there isn't any food."  Goku mumbled.

The man just shook his head.  It was the times like this, that he really hated his job.  This guy seemed to be going through some things and this is like kicking him when he was down.  He was just glad they hadn't become violent.  He'd had quite a few run-ins with people who were less than pleased to see him.

"Sorry about this Mr. Son."  He said before walking back to his air van and taking off.

The older Son was incredulous.  Chichi had left him in a pretty bad predicament.  She could have at least caught the bills up, or told him about them before she left.

"Come on dad.  Let's go to the city and I'll pay this for you."  Gohan said.

"No, I can pay it myself."  Goku said walking back into the house.

"With what dad?  You don't have any money."

"Actually I do have quite a bit of money saved up from my tournament days.  How do you think your mother provided for you when I was dead?  I put that money aside just in case something ever happened to me, you all would still be taken care of."

Gohan averted his eyes from his father's face ashamed that he'd always thought that the money they lived off came from his grandpa, or Bulma.  He never thought that Goku had any money, since he was the most altruistic person in the world.

The demi-Saiyan watched as his father rummaged through a desk drawer and pulled out his wallet.  He checked to make sure his debit card and ID were still there before sliding it inside his pants pocket.  They walked back out of the house in silence and took off toward the city.

***

Goku glared at the woman sitting across the desk from him.  What she was saying just couldn't be possible.  "I'm sorry but could you repeat that?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Son, but your credit card has been declined.  Do you have some other method of payment?"

He ignored her question, "Does it say why it's been declined?"

She shook her head, "It just says 'contact the bank'."

Gohan took out his wallet and gave the woman his credit card.  "I'll pay the bill." He told her.

"Gohan, I know that the money should be there.  I don't understand what's going on."

"Don't worry about it dad.  When we leave here, we'll go to the bank and find out.  But in the meantime, let's just take care of this so they can reconnect your power."

Goku agreed.

After paying, they left the electric company and headed toward the East District Bank.

It was only several blocks away so they arrived in just a few minutes and signed in.  A few minutes later the same young woman that had helped Chichi weeks ago, approached them with a solemn look on her face.  She had immediately recognized the name on the sign-in ledger, and she pretty much knew what was coming.

"Mr. Son…please come this way."  She said ushering them into her office.  They sat across the desk from her and she said, "What can I do for you."

Goku gave her his card.  "I just tried to use this but it was denied.  Can you tell me what's going on?"

Marian pulled up the account on her computer and looked it over.  "Well Mr. Son, I'm showing that this account has been closed."

"Closed?!  Why?"

Marian took a deep breath before continuing.  "It seems that there was a co-owner on the account…Mrs. Son."

Goku nodded glancing at Gohan.  He could already tell what she was going to say, and he was having a hard time believing it.

"Well, she came in here nearly 3 weeks ago and withdrew all the money."

"She what!!"  They both exclaimed in unison.

Marian shrank back from the volume of their combined voice.  This was precisely why she didn't like closing accounts without both parties present.  It was deceitful and wrong, and there was always hell to pay.

"How much money was in there, dad?"

"I'm really not sure, but I know it was quite a sum.  Chichi had been using it for a while, but there should have been enough to take care of all of us from now on."

"Actually, over 2,000,000 Zeni."  Marian added.

Gohan's face drained of color.  "You mean you just let her close the account without dad's permission?"

"I'm sorry sir, but bank policy states that both account holders don't have to be present to close the account.  Each person, in essence has dominion over the account."

"Damn!  I wish I knew where she was so I could give her a piece of my mind."  Gohan exclaimed, livid with incredulity.

Goku was understandably shocked beyond words.  His wife, who he'd trusted with his life, had taken everything from him.  He wouldn't have cared if she took half…hell she could have taken 2/3 of it, but she had taken everything with no thought about how he was supposed to live.  Why would she do something like that?  Had he really been that bad a husband to her?

He stood up solemnly.  There was nothing more the bank could do for him.  "Well thank you anyway Ms. Ellis."  He said before walking out of the office.  Gohan stood up to follow him until he was stopped by Marian's voice.  She gave him a slip of paper with an address on it.  "This is the address she gave for her new account.  But please don't say where you got it from."  She said.

He took the paper and glanced at it before slipping it into his pocket.  "Thanks."  He said and left.

***

Gohan pinpointed his father's energy signal heading back toward the mountains.  Without regard to who was around on the street, he took off flying in the same direction.  A few minutes later he caught up to his father but he didn't say anything.  They just flew on to the house and landed in silence.  Gohan knew his father was upset, but his silence was unnerving.

"Dad…are you okay?"

Goku had been in a stupor since he left the bank.  His son's voice helped bring him back to reality.  "I'm okay Gohan.  Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."

"Are you hungry?  I could run to the store for you."

"No, I'm fine.  Don't you have work or something?"

Gohan looked at his watch. He normally went in early, but he could pretty much come and go as he pleased.  "That's not a problem."

Goku wasn't trying to push his son away, but he really just wanted to be alone.  It was still early in the day, but he was already exhausted.  "Gohan please…just go on with your day.  I'll be fine…I'm sure of it."

The younger Son could tell that his father wanted to be alone so he decided not to push the subject.  "Okay dad.  I'm going to get your phone turned back on sometime today.  If you need me for anything, just call."

Goku nodded and watched as Gohan left.  He made his way back in the house and up to his bedroom.  Maybe he could just catch a short nap and when he woke up he would figure out what to do.

***

Trunks had just stepped out of the shower when he heard his cellphone ringing from the other room.  He raced back into his bedroom, hoping that it wasn't something work related that would interrupt his plans to spend the day with his best friend.

"Hello."

"Hey Trunks…Tom Ragland here."

"Tom…I'd been wondering what was taking you so long.  You're not getting rusty are you?"  He quipped.

"Not on your life…I'm still the best around."

"Yeah, so what did you find out?"

"All the information you sent me checked out.  Everything about this guy is genuine."

"Is that so?"  Trunks asked still disconcerted by Ian.

"This guy is like a boy scout or something.  He pays his bills on time, never cheats on his taxes, and he even volunteers at the local children's center every other weekend.  Yep, his background is squeaky clean."

Trunks mulled over the information.  He didn't think anybody could be that good…except Goku.  Maybe his mother was right about him being overly paranoid.  "Okay.  Well, thanks for checking.  Send the bill to me personally, and I'll take care of it."  He said before they hung up.

***

Gohan flew back into the city, but instead of going to his job, he went to his brother's apartment.

He knocked on the door a few times fidgeting impatiently until Goten answered and let him in.

"Hey Gohan.  Shouldn't you be at work already?"

"We need to talk."  The older man said, pushing past his brother and into the apartment.

Goten noted the serious tone in his brother's voice and sat down on the couch.  "What's going on?"

"Its mom…"

Goten immediately thought the worst.  "Is she sick, or hurt…what is it?"

Gohan pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.  "No, nothing like that.  She left dad a few weeks ago and cleaned out their bank account."

"She left him…why?  And what bank account, they don't have any money."

"That's what I thought, but Dad said he put all of his tournament winnings in an account to take care of us if anything ever happened to him.  Goten…there was over 2 million Zeni in there."

"You're kidding right.  I mean mom always made it seem like she was struggling to take care of us when we were kids."

"I know." Gohan agreed.

"Why do you think I spent so much time at Trunks' house?  There was no shortage of anything there." 

Gohan nodded.

"Why did she leave him anyway?  I didn't think they were having any problems."

"Neither did I, but apparently she wasn't happy or something.  I really don't know the details."

An uncomfortable silence filled the air for a few moments.  Gohan gave his brother time to let the information sink in.

"Well where is she now?  I should've been suspicious when I didn't hear from her for a whole 2 weeks.  One of her favorite pastimes is calling me and laying on the guilt trip about not visiting her."  Goten said.

"Yeah, me too.  I found out that she lives in the Lakeland area now."  He said taking out the paper with the address on it.

Goten gasped.  "That's one of the richest neighborhoods in the city…are you sure?"  He said looking at the paper.

"Positive.  I'm sure she can afford it with a 2 million zeni bank account.  Anyway, I think we need to go pay her a little visit and find out what's really going on."

"Good idea.  Just let me get my shoes on."  Goten said.

A few minutes later the two Sons left the apartment heading toward their mother's new home.

…Tbc…

A/N:  I don't know about you, but I still don't buy Ian as a genuinely good guy.  And what about poor Goku.  It must have been pretty embarrassing to find out about his pilfered money like that.  Ooh, and what will happen when Gohan and Goten confront Chichi?  You'll just have to wait until next time.  And don't forget to review.

Kaineko@hotmail.com


	7. When It Rains 06

**Warnings, disclaimers and such:** Any character referenced in this story isn't mine...no profit being made...beware of language and angst...  
  
**A/N:** Hey everyone, I'm back. Sorry for the massive delay...real life and all. And a giant thanks to everyone that reviewed. I really appreciate it. This chapter hasn't been proofread, so I'm really sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes, or anything that's overly confusing.  
  
**When it Rains  
By: Kaineko  
**  
_Chapter 06..._  
  
Vegeta was in the middle of his usual intricate training regimen against his battle simulation bots. The gravity was set higher than it had ever been before forcing him to work extra hard under the immense pressure. Sweat dripped down his brow, stinging his eyes with its saltiness and dripping to the metal floor echoing like rain. Training always helped him take out his frustrations, which he seemed to be having more than his fair share of lately. Normally his routine spar with Goku was enough to help him keep his anger and aggravation in check, but those were becoming few and far between. Even when they did spar just being around the earth-raised Saiyan was more distracting than he cared to admit. He'd been forced to resume use of the bots, which weren't nearly as good as the real thing. He hadn't used them this extensively since Goku's last death and he really wasn't too enthused about using them now.   
  
Goku had been dealing with some issues since Chichi left, but the ouji really couldn't see what the big deal was. It's not like he was completely blind to the types of relationships that humans have and the amount of _'faith'_ and _'emotion'_ that they wrap up within them.  
  
_'But Kakarrot isn't a human.'_   
  
It irked him to no end that Goku was lamenting over the harpy. The woman was tremendously annoying and she had the worst attitude of anyone he'd ever met. In Vegeta's opinion it really wasn't a big loss, and he was actually glad it had happened. He'd always considered it a profanity of Saiyan culture for a warrior as powerful as Goku to be tethered to someone so inferior to him in every way. In his opinion there couldn't have been a more ill fitted pair. Even his now defunct relationship with Bulma hadn't been as mismatched...they at least had similar headstrong personalities. Every time the prince was forced to be in Chichi's presence he'd cringe and the battle to not execute her on the spot for her blatant disrespect was hard fought.  
  
Vegeta had sat by for years wondering when his fellow Saiyan would stop the charade and realize that she wasn't right for him. But what exactly was it that the prince had been waiting for? Why the hell should it matter who Goku chose to be with? He didn't have to sleep with the shrew.  
  
Vegeta smirked. She probably didn't realize it, but she'd actually done him a profound favor by leaving. It was probably only because Goku's Saiyan instinct had been polluted by silly human sentiment that he hadn't left her in the first place to seek his true mate...the one that would make him happy. Someone better suited to match the intensity of power that a Saiyan warrior of his level possessed. Someone whose mind is as strong as their will, passionate in battle as well as life, and appreciative of the benefits offered by a bond with a Saiyan warrior.  
  
Vegeta admitted that he considered Goku a friend. The only person he'd ever granted with that esteemed title. For reasons unknown to him Goku had earned that place within his eyes. Had they still been on Vegetasai, Goku would be a highly revered warrior. He had all the qualities that the Saiyans respected, strength being number one. But he was also loyal to his comrades, and had a determination that was rivaled only by Vegeta's own. Maybe that was the reason that he viewed Goku as a friend...because just like his fellow Saiyans, Vegeta also held a high regard for those same traits. And in all his years of travel, Goku is the only one he'd ever encountered that not only possessed those characteristics, but also was blissfully unaware of it.

* * *

Gohan landed within the gates of his mother's new home with his younger brother in tow. They entered the building, Gohan glaring defiantly as the doorman was about to stop them. He knew well the look in the young man's eyes and understandably sat back down and let them proceed unimpeded. He wasn't paid enough to put his life at risk, besides they didn't look all that threatening he reasoned. Both men continued to her condo, noting how much more luxurious everything was than their boyhood mountain home. Gohan was becoming increasingly angry as he mulled over the situation remembering how crushed his father had seemed earlier that day. When they stood in front of the door they rang the bell and waited for several minutes for the door to open.  
  
Chichi was fixing her hair in the mirror when she heard the whimsical chime of her doorbell. She glanced at the clock.  
  
_'He's here early.'  
_  
She unlocked the door and opened it without even looking through the peephole. Imagine her surprise when her two sons stood there, one looking confused and the other looking more than pissed.  
  
"Goten...Gohan...I wasn't expecting you here?" She stammered, her mouth suddenly dry.  
  
They stood there in silence for a few minutes eyeing each other. They had never in their lives seen her look so...casual and elegant at the same time. She wore an obviously expensive pale yellow sundress, stopping right at the knee, and her jet black hair was free and fell down her back almost touching her butt making her appear...fresh and young. She even wore a few touches of make-up and perfume. She looked like a million zeni...make that two.  
  
"Obviously not." Gohan mumbled under his breath. His anger swelling over the comparison between the way his mother looked now and the way his father had looked earlier. She was obviously living it up while Goku was struggling, not only with his finances, but also with his emotions.   
  
Goten cut his eye at Gohan, able to control his emotions better since he hadn't actually seen his father's condition to compare with his mother's. "Uh, hi mom. Can we come in?"  
  
"Huh...oh yes, sure." She said recovering from her own shock and allowing them in. "Have a seat boys." She said gesturing to the living room.  
  
Gohan followed his brother to the couch all the while trying to rein his temper.  
  
"Okay mom, mind telling us what the hell is going on?" Gohan asked not bothering to beat around the bush. He'd learned over the years not to mince words...he'd been friends with Piccolo way too long for that.  
  
Chichi glared at Gohan for a moment, about to admonish him for the way he spoke to her, but the look he was returning was enough to warn her that it would be an exercise in futility. She sighed audibly and sat across from them. "I knew that you'd find out soon enough, and I guess I should have been the one to tell you, but I honestly didn't know how to say it."  
  
"Why mom...were you really so unhappy with dad?" Goten asked.  
  
"...At one point I loved your father. And I thought that he could do no wrong. But after all the years of him leaving me, taking off whenever he felt like it, putting everything else before me, that love changed. It became resentment. I had so many other things planned to do with my life that never panned out because of him. I have so many other interests that your father not only didn't share, but didn't care to know about. I just got fed up...I had to leave if for nothing more, for my own sanity. I was going crazy all alone in that house, wondering if anyone would visit me, or how long I'd have to keep my husband's food warm while he sparred with Vegeta." She spat the prince's name as if it were a curse.  
  
Gohan wasn't convinced by his mother's speech. She was the queen of drama and had a constant _'poor me'_ complex. "Even if you were unhappy and felt compelled to leave, did you have to take everything? You completely cleaned out his bank account and left him with nothing. How could you do something so dishonorable?"  
  
When confronted with the truth, Chichi became hostile and defensive. "_His_ bank account...you say it as if I didn't have anything to do with it."  
  
Gohan eyed her critically.  
  
"Maybe I didn't go out and actually fight in the tournaments, but I had just as much to do with it as he did. I spent damned near every minute of my young life taking care of him and everyone else, while my dreams just withered away and died. When you boys were kids I used the money to feed you and keep you clothed...neither an easy task for two demi-Saiyans. Now I feel like I deserve something for myself. I consider it payment for all the time I wasted playing house while he pursued his own desires and left me alone."  
  
Goten had always been a bit closer to his mother and he knew she'd felt neglected for so many years by their father, but he still didn't think she was being fair. Gohan, on the other hand, was livid. Since his awkward teenage years he'd grown into the take-no-shit type instead of the easily swayed, good boy everyone thought of him as. He'd become resentful of his mother trying to mold him into what she imagined for him instead of allowing him to develop into the person he wanted to be. They had started getting into frequent arguments about where he would go to school, what he would do for a profession, and who he should date. The culmination came when she tried to arrange for him to marry Videl of all people. She was overbearing and bitchy just like Chichi, and he'd refused adamantly. Since then, they have pretty much been at ideological odds with one another; always taking opposing sides of an issue just on general principle. So he didn't accept her reasoning at all. Besides, he'd seen the condition that his father was in that morning and in his opinion it was pitiful.  
  
"Stop shoveling shit mom." He growled. "You knew of dad's thirst for battle before you even married him. Hell, you yourself fought him in a tournament right before you got married. I don't know what to think about you anymore. I knew you could be cold, but this...this is just heartless. How can you live with yourself knowing that you left him with no food, and no money to pay his bills? They disconnected the electricity this morning for Kami's sake, and the phone's been off for days. When he tried to pay them, they denied his credit card and sent him to the bank to find out what was going on. Do you realize how embarrassing, not to mention painful that was for him? Couldn't you have at least had the decency to tell him to his face what you had done, instead of going behind his back like a coward?"  
  
"That's enough Gohan." Chichi screeched, jumping to her feet in anger. "I am still your mother and I demand you respect me as such. I can't believe you would have the nerve to talk to me that way. All I ever did was try to be a good wife and mother, and this is the thanks I get..."  
  
"Oh can it mom...I, for one, am sick of the melodrama. You can demand my respect when you've actually earned it."

Chichi plopped back down in the chair looking indignant.

Goten just sat there, resembling a landed fish as he watched the whole exchange with something akin to incredulity. He'd witnessed many arguments between his brother and his mother and knew when things were starting to get out of hand. He felt like maybe he should step in and play mediator before things really got ugly.  
  
"Look mom...we're not here to point fingers or try and lay blame." He said eyeing his brother who he knew for a fact was blaming Chichi. "We just want to understand what's going on and work out a solution that's best for everyone. In the interest of fairness would it really be too much to ask for you to give dad some of the money back?" The younger demi-Saiyan asked.  
  
"In the interest of fairness..." She said mockingly. "What about all the times he left...was that fair?"  
  
Gohan growled.  
  
"Mom..." Goten pleaded.  
  
Chichi crossed her arms in fury. Everyone was always taking Goku's side over hers. No one ever wanted to hear her side. She wasn't doing anything to him that he didn't deserve. Still, to cool her sons' anger she would consider their request. "...I'll think about it." She huffed.  
  
"You'll think about it?! What the hell is there to think about?" Gohan yelled slapping his fist down on the coffee table, a few stress cracks fanning across the surface of the wood as it groaned under the assault. His anger was blinding him to the point that he wasn't effectively controlling his strength.  
  
Goten cut him off still trying to avoid an all-out war. He knew that they were both too damned headstrong to back down and this was probably as good of a compromise as they were going to get right now. "Okay mom...think about it and let us know." He said grabbing Gohan's arm and dragging the pissed off demi-Saiyan to the door.  
  
"Come on Gohan. I think its time to go before things get out of hand." He said just loud enough for his brother's ears.  
  
"We'll see you mom." The younger man said before pulling his irate brother out and shutting the door.  
  
They left the apartment and flew a distance away before stopping and hovering in mid-air.  
  
"I just can't get over how she's acting Goten."  
  
"I know, but maybe she'll come around." The younger man said optimistically.  
  
"You give her way too much credit. She's been a harpy for years."  
  
"Gohan!" he exclaimed in shock. "How can you say that about your own mother?"  
  
"Because it's true. Trust me, she wasn't nearly as hard on you as she was on me growing up."  
  
"Well we can't think about that right now. We have to just make sure dad's okay...keep an eye on him. Sometimes he's like a big kid needing guidance." Goten said.  
  
"I agree but he won't like it much."  
  
"We'll be subtle. Lets meet this evening and go over to check on him."  
  
Gohan looked at his watch noting the late hour. "That's fine. I need to get to work. I've already missed half the day as it is and I have a lot of work to do."  
  
Goten nodded before taking off in the direction of West City to visit Trunks.

* * *

Chichi sat fuming after her sons left. They just didn't understand that she needed more out of life than just being the wife of a warrior. She valued the finer things in life...the beautiful things, which reminded her of what she'd been doing before they came. She resumed styling her hair, combing the long tresses straight down her back. She'd abandoned the bun since she was no longer bound by the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood, opting instead to wear her hair down. Besides, Ian loved to see her hair down. Over the weeks they'd been spending a lot of time together and she was having the time of her life. They went to dinner, dancing, plays, and art exhibits together. He was everything she'd wanted in a man that Goku was not...and had never been. She wondered a few times about her good fortune for finding such a good friend, but chalked it up to serendipity. He was helping her move on with her life...accomplish her goals, and for that she was grateful.  
  
Looking at herself in the mirror, she was pleased with the results. She pushed the whole incident with her sons, and thoughts of Goku to the back of her mind. She was determined to enjoy herself and nothing was going to stand in her way.

* * *

Later that day around lunchtime, Goku sat up in his bed rubbing his sleepy eyes. It was really useless to try to sleep. His mind was awhirl with emotions surrounding his estranged wife, and to top it all off he was still plagued by those strange dreams that continued to steal his sleep. He stood up and walked to his dresser, pulling out one of his gis. He was feeling listless, and knew that he needed to get out of the stale air in his house from having been closed off for so long.   
  
The only thing he felt like doing was going to see Vegeta. Vegeta was wild, unbound by 'silly human sentiment' as he'd often phrased it. Goku needed to be around that, let it rub off on him and allow him to release his own worries and be free. Vegeta's company was always able to help him forget all the bad stuff in his life and only focus on the moment. And he knew that the Ouji would never refuse a good fight. With this thought in mind, he changed clothes and left the house flying in the direction of Capsule Corp. What seemed like only moments later, the yellow dome of the CC building came into view and he landed flaring his ki to alert Vegeta to his presence.

* * *

Tight navy spandex and a white tank top clung to the Ouji's agile form as he strode into the kitchen. It was nearing lunchtime and had become apparent that Kakarrot wasn't going to come. He'd been looking forward to a good spar and was disappointed that the younger man was a no show. Trunks was sitting at the table with Goten when he entered.   
  
_'Probably eating up all the good stuff'._  
  
He huffed and walked to the refrigerator ignoring them. The two demi-Saiyans glanced up at the Prince and immediately recognized that he was in one of his anti-social moods so they just went back to their conversation.  
  
"So what happened when you and Gohan confronted her?" Trunks asked his friend between bites.  
  
"I just couldn't believe it. She looks at us with no remorse whatsoever and says, _'I consider it payment for all the time I wasted playing house...'_ She didn't even care about the lights, the phone, or the fact that there was no food in the house. She's like a totally different person now."  
  
"What do you mean _'totally different'_? Your mom has always been like that."  
  
Goten tried to look stunned, but failed miserably as he laughed. "I'll be the first to admit that she's a bit difficult to get along with and somewhat overbearing at times..."  
  
Trunks snorted derisively, "That's an understatement."  
  
Goten cut his eye at his friend before continuing, "...still, I would never have imagined her doing that to dad. Gohan says he looks horrible, and he's not sleeping well."  
  
"That bad huh?"  
  
Goten nodded. "When Gohan went off on her, it took everything he had to keep his composure and it still slipped. He told her she was full of shit and that he was sick of all her melodrama."  
  
Trunks smirked. "Man I wish I could have been there to see that."  
  
"Trust me, you don't...I just knew all hell was gonna break loose at any minute."  
  
"Ah...but it didn't." Trunks reminded him.  
  
"Depends on whose point of view you look through. Besides if I hadn't pulled him out of there just in time something serious would have happened."

* * *

Vegeta had been listening in while he fixed his food.

_'What exactly is going on with Kakarrot now?'_

Vegeta knew he'd been troubled lately. That much had been apparent from those increasingly rare occasions when they actually sparred. Goku just didn't seem to be in it any more and Vegeta had to almost force him into a good fight.  
  
The Ouji took his food and sat down across from the younger men. He picked up on snippets of their conversation, but for the most part he was lost in his own thoughts. For some reason he had the urge to go and see Goku for himself...to make sure he was okay, but he quickly suppressed it telling himself that he just didn't care. He was almost finished eating when he felt the flare of a familiar ki. It would seem that he could satisfy his curiosity over the other Saiyan's health, without leaving after all. Everyone else felt it too and Goten jumped up and opened the door for his dad.  
  
"Dad, I didn't expect to see you here." He said carefully scrutinizing his father's appearance. Nothing seemed off except that the gleam he normally had in his eyes was gone, replaced by a dull weary look. But he didn't seem as pitiful as Gohan made him sound.  
  
Goku walked into the kitchen, noting his son's hawk-like stare and figured that Gohan must have talked to him already. He'd have his own talk with Goten later, but for now all he needed was the other full-blooded Saiyan. "I'm here to see if Vegeta's up to a spar." He said while looking at Goten, but really speaking to the prince.  
  
Vegeta was leaning up against the counter finishing off his drink. "You'd think after all these years you'd know the answer to that." He smirked placing the glass in the sink.  
  
"Good, the usual place." Goku said walking out without even waiting for a reply. Vegeta walked out behind him and they took to the sky toward their usual sparring ground.  
  
Goten and Trunks glanced at each other then shrugged. They had long ago stopped trying to figure out their fathers' relationship, though they knew it was deeper than either man let on.

* * *

Several hours and two battered Saiyans later, Goku and Vegeta sat in silence on a cliff overlooking the vast valley where Capsule Corp was situated in the distance. Their spar though invigorating, had done little to ease either warrior's troubled mind so they just sat in each other's company. It was during times like this that the true nature and solidity of their friendship could be glimpsed.  
  
"You know Vegeta..." Goku said breaking the silence that had been comfortably stretched between them. "More and more I'm coming to the conclusion that Chichi wasn't right for me."  
  
Vegeta hmphed. He'd known that for years. "I told you that the day after she left you but you didn't believe me. What makes you so sure about it now?"  
  
Earlier the gentle warrior had relayed the story of the utilities and the money to his prince, and Vegeta hadn't been at all shocked.   
  
"This whole incident is just helping me see everything so clearly. I would never have done something so malicious to her, but she obviously had no problem doing it to me. I can't imagine how much hate she must have in her heart toward me to pull something like this? She knows I'm not materialistic, she could have taken most of the money, and I wouldn't have cared. But this...this just hurts."  
  
Vegeta looked at Goku for a long time. He suspected that Goku wasn't shattered because she left him or because she took all his money. But that he felt betrayed by her actions after he had remained so loyal to her. Saiyans as a race placed high value on loyalty. It wasn't unheard of for one Saiyan to die for another without as much as a second thought. It's what had helped the bloodthirsty race survive so many centuries without deadly civil unrest. It was also what eventually led to their downfall...their sworn fealty to the royal family who stood as the icon of Saiyanity. Kakarrot was no doubt feeling horribly used and discarded right now. Vegeta knew he'd eventually come around, but he would probably have a hard time ever trusting someone so completely.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Ian asked glancing at the lovely raven-haired woman standing next to him. Lunch had been nice. They'd dined in a small café inside the Botanic Gardens and were now strolling over a small bridge that crossed a beautiful koi pond in the well-manicured Japanese gardens.  
  
His question seemed to bring the former Mrs. Son out of a trance like state. "Oh nothing...Why?"  
  
"You seem more than a little preoccupied. You're surrounded by one of the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen and you haven't said a word. So tell me...what's wrong?"  
  
Chichi stared at the scene in front of her, the pond brimming with brightly painted koi swimming nearly over one another. The thick grove of bamboo nestled on the opposite bank of the pond swaying almost rhythmically in the light breeze. The sound of the deer chaser as it drummed at regular intervals. It was indeed a beautiful vista, but she couldn't seem to focus on it. She'd been thinking about the confrontation she had with her sons, namely Gohan earlier that day.   
  
It hadn't been pretty, but what did she expect? Her sons along with everyone else worshipped him, and they could never see any of his faults. It made her angry that he was always the one that everyone supported, no matter what was going on. On so many occasions she'd been the one to need support, but it wasn't as readily available to her as it was to him.  
  
_'He was the one always risking his life for everyone's safety.'_

She sighed dismissing the thought. Maybe she was just jealous of all the attention he garnered. Perhaps she had been wrong to take all the money. Maybe it really wasn't fair to him and she should give some back. She sighed contemplating the situation more before turning to Ian. Maybe she should ask for his advice. So far he'd been the only one to actually take any interest in her side of the situation. He had advised her to use the money to start a new life in the first place. He said she deserved at least that much for all of her hardships.  
  
"I'm sorry. It's just that...I had a visit from my sons today."  
  
Ian could guess what was going to come next. "And I guess they weren't happy to find out about your separation?"  
  
_'That's an understatement.'_ She thought. "They have it in their minds that I committed some horrible act."  
  
"And...what do you think?"  
  
She sighed leaning against the railing of the bridge placing her hand there for support. "I don't know. They said he's out of food and his utilities have been disconnected. This just doesn't feel like I thought it would. Maybe I should just give him half of the money back and get this off of my conscious."   
  
Ian placed his warm gentle hand on top of hers. "Didn't you say that he always put everything before you, and hindered you from living out your dreams? From the way it sounds to me, he is getting everything he deserves." He said offering his advice.  
  
"Men like Goku don't appreciate what they've got until it's gone. They'll never learn any responsibility for themselves if the women in their lives baby and coddle them. Don't you think it's time you allowed him to grow up?" He said, taking her mind off the money issue, and focusing it on the underlying relationship problems between her and Goku.  
  
Chichi's emotions were at war with one another. She still felt bad about Goku's situation, and a little guilty. But Ian's words had once again stirred her anger toward her ex and it threatened to overwhelm any pity she'd felt earlier. Ian had a way of reading a situation perfectly. He'd said exactly what she'd been saying for years. Goku was like a big kid and he'd never grow up if she continued to baby him. Perhaps she should let him live by his own efforts from now on...get a taste of what she'd been doing all along and maybe develop some appreciation for all of her hard work and sacrifices.  
  
"You're absolutely right. He'll have to learn to be more responsible and if my sons don't agree with that then tough. This is one lesson that he bought and he'll definitely get what he paid for. I certainly hope he'll learn well from it."  
  
"Oh he'll learn well indeed." Ian mumbled under his breath.  
  
Chichi quirked her eyebrow at the weird comment but then brushed it off. "Let's just forget about the whole subject."  
  
...tbc...  
  
**A/N:** Ian seems to be a master of manipulation. Chichi just goes along with whatever he says because that's what she wants to hear. Oh well. We'll see what happens. I'm working on the next chapter and it should be out soon. Until then remember...review, review, review!  
  
Want to be notified when I update? Let me know by email or in your review.  
  
kainekohotmail.com [For some reason fanfiction keeps removing the "at" symbol on my email. But it's kaineko(at)hotmail.com]


	8. When It Rains 07

**Warnings, disclaimers and such:** Lot's of things are implied in this chapter, but if I give you a warning they won't simply be implied anymore. Don't worry, there's nothinggraphic. Sorry for the formatting quirks, Fanfiction's interface is just not being cooperative (_------00------_ is a break). Also any recognizable character referenced in this story isn't mine...no profit being made...etc. Beware of language and angst...

**When it Rains  
By: Kaineko  
**  
_Chapter 07..._

Gohan had just hung up the phone with his credit card company having them issue a card on his account in his father's name. It wouldn't do for Goku to be without a means of caring for himself.

His secretary's voice broke into his thoughts. "Mr. Son…Bulma Briefs on line 2."

Gohan picked up the phone and mumbled his thanks.

"Hey Bulma. What's up?"

"Gohan, I just went over the merger proposal you sent last week."

"So what do you think?" He asked.

"You've certainly caught my interest. Let's meet tomorrow to discuss all the details."

Bulma could hear the smile in his voice. "That's great Bulma."

"Okay, how about in my main office say around 1:30."

"Alright. I'll be there."

"Good. Look, I can't chat I'm pretty swamped right now." She said.

Gohan looked at the clock. It was already near 5:00 and Bulma was still working. But that was just the kind of person she was. "See you tomorrow then." He said before ending the brief call.

Damn, almost 5:00 and he still had some things to catch up on himself since he'd been so late coming in this morning. Not to mention that now he'd have to prepare for his meeting with Bulma tomorrow. But he'd promised Goten that they would go and check on Goku this evening. He sighed. Maybe he could just get Goten to go over and at least make sure their dad got a decent meal.

_------00------_

Trunks and Goten walked through the halls of the West City Galleria Mall, enjoying the attention they garnered from all of the young women and a few of the older ones too. They even received appreciative second glances from a few of the men, which they didn't mind either. They were too hot to handle, at least they thought so anyway. And the attention only helped to swell their heads more.

The younger demi looked around noting that the halls were fairly packed with casual shoppers and mall loafers alike, the two of them falling into the latter category. Goten glanced at his friend and smiled at his own private joke. For all the so-called growing up Trunks had done when he took over the vice-presidency of Capsule Corp, he still acted like a teenager at times. He was constantly running off, ditching days just to hang out. But on the same hand, he always made up for it with the quality of work he could produce under extreme pressure. He was a notorious procrastinator, but a perfectionist to a fault and he always, always got things done. That's what allowed him to skip out so much, without actually missing his deadlines or pissing off his mom.

Goten was startled out of his thoughts by the sudden obnoxious intrusion of the theme song from Scooby Doo. Trunks groaned and rolled his eyes and Goten grinned, pulling out his cellphone. He loved that ringtone, just because it irked Trunks to no end.

"Hello."

"Hey Goten, what're you doing now?" Gohan's voice came across the other end.

"I'm at the mall hanging out with Trunks."

"Listen bro, I don't think I'll be able to make it back to dad's tonight. At least not by a decent time. Would you go check up on him for me? Make sure he gets something to eat… I don't really want him to be alone, but I just can't get out of here for a while."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem. He came to Capsule Corp today and invited Vegeta to a spar." Goten paused and sent out his senses. He could feel Goku's ki not too far away from Capsule Corp. and Vegeta's was in the same vicinity. "I can sense their ki in the same location as before. They must still be at it. You know how they get when they fight."

Gohan thought about this. "I guess it's a good thing that he has Vegeta to help take out his frustrations on."

"Yeah I think so too. But you know, he didn't look quite as bad as you described him this morning. I mean, he looked a little tired and definitely more solemn than normal, but given the circumstances I think that's to be expected."

"Well I don't trust it. It could be just his attempt to mask his emotions. You know he really isn't that good with expressing his real feelings. It's always just this unnatural cheerfulness with him regardless of what's going on. Unless it's anger while he's facing down some crazed loon he doesn't show any other emotion. And he can't be too happy about what mom has done." Gohan added sarcastically.

"Well, I'll definitely keep my eye on him." Goten said.

"Thanks Goten. I better get going if I want to get out of here at all tonight. Let me know if anything else happens."

"Okay, talk to you later." Goten said and hung up the phone.

"You know you really should change that ringtone. It's annoying as hell chibi." Trunks said.

"No way that's my favorite show. Besides why do you think I keep it?" Goten grinned.

Trunks just shook his head. "So what's up?"

"Gohan just wants me to keep an eye on dad. He said he's too busy at work to leave and he's just worried."

"Oh." Trunks paused as they entered a video store that specialized in import videos, music, and games. "Well what about you?"

"What do you mean?" Goten asked looking up from the new releases display shelf that had immediately caught his eye.

"Are you worried about him?"

He didn't have to give it much thought before he answered. "Yeah I guess I am. He didn't seem so pitiful, but Gohan thinks it's a front. Like he's trying to mask his emotions and not show his true feelings."

Trunks nodded. "Must be a full-blood thing. Dad is the same way except with anger. Maybe they just find one emotion that they are comfortable with and always try to portray that in order to protect their true feelings. Must be difficult for a warrior race to show any emotions that could be seen as weakness. With my dad, if he appears indifferent to everything, then he can act as if nothing bothers him…like he has no emotional weaknesses. And with your dad, his constant sunny mood makes it seem as if nothing ever gets under his skin."

"I guess they're similar in a lot of ways. I wonder if they even realize what they're doing, or if it's just instinct."

"Who knows with those two?" Trunks shrugged.

_------00------_

On the other side of town near Capsule Corp., the two Saiyans were still together, but the fight had long ended. The grass was soft and warm where Vegeta lay looking up at the sky. The day was beginning its transition to early evening as the sun started to set in the afternoon sky. Vegeta would never admit it aloud, but this was his favorite time of the day. It reminded him of the sunsets of his childhood on Vegetasai. When the earth sky was blazing with its vibrant oranges and fiery reds, it was only a few shades lighter than the sky on Vegetasai. Enough to trigger memories of a boyhood spent romping through the grand castle of Vegetasai's high province, acting as if he owned the universe.

He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, reliving the better times of his youth, before opening them again and pushing the thoughts aside. He wouldn't say it was beautiful, but it was pleasant.

Vegeta glanced toward his side at the sound of light snoring punctuated by intermittent mumbling. Goku had dozed off not too long ago a few feet away from him leaving him to his own thoughts. To the prince he looked haggard, a bit worn out and Vegeta figured that he needed the rest. He could have left him, but he was content to just sit there and stare at the sky. There was really no point in racing back to Capsule Corp, and possibly being subjected to Bulma and her nonsense.

He turned his attention back toward the sky, lost in thought.

He hadn't noticed when, but at some point his gaze had shifted back over to the prone body of his companion. He focused intently on the deep frown that marred Goku's brow in sleep. _'What's he dreaming about?'_

_------00------_

___There was no one in the small cabin with him now, his attacker having left only moments before but not without the promise that he'd be back. He was left laying face down on the cabin floor where he remained for a long time just trying to catch his breath and arrange his jumbled thoughts. His eyes were clenched as if it would ward off the astonishing pain that he felt all over his body. For the longest time he simply couldn't move from the cold floor; his body frozen in pain and fear._

_Slowly and with great deliberation he shifted his weight from his stomach to his knees as he gripped the side of a nearby chair. The only light was the pale moonlight that had seemingly come from nowhere to filter in through the curtains and chase away just enough darkness for him to see by. The only sound that echoed through the small cabin was his slight shuffle and his labored breathing. Kami, he didn't know he could hurt like this. The pain was so immense that he was sure he was just one step away from death. Never in his life had he felt so…broken._

_He pushed himself up to his feet, painfully making his way to the corner of the room that held a sink basin and a pitcher of surprisingly clear water. They never did have running water in the small hut. Goku rested his weight against the wall as he leaned forward over the basin. He felt his mouth salivating with the bile that rose in the back of his throat. It was his only warning before his stomach revolted and he emptied its contents into the sink. His hands were shaking visibly as he cupped them full of water and rinsed the acrid acid from his mouth and gripped the pitcher, pouring just enough water to wash the vomit down the drain._

_Slowly he limped around the room, trying to pull himself together._

'_Don't go anywhere…I'll be back for you soon.'_

_Goku wanted to be gone before that happened. He looked around the room for his shoes vaguely wondering how they'd been removed in the first place, but not really wanting to remember. Even with the pale light of the moon, it was still too difficult to see._

_Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Something wasn't right…something was close to the cabin…close to him. He could just sense it. Fear rose within him…it had never really left in the first place, but now it was intensified. His intuition was telling him to forget the damned shoes and just get the hell away. _

'_He's back for me…like he said he would be.' Goku thought frantically._

_From somewhere deep within, he marshaled enough strength to bolt from the door of the cabin and into the forest nearby._

_------00------_

Vegeta watched the sweat break out on Goku's forehead. His legs were twitching and he was whimpering almost pitifully. He could even hear the other man's heart thumping madly within his chest.

'What the hell _is_ he dreaming about?'

Vegeta stood and closed the short distance between him and Goku. He crouched down, hovering over Goku watching him for a moment before he reached his hand out to shake him awake.

"Wake up Kakarrot."

No response, only increased whimpering.

"Damnit Kakarrot. Wake up." He growled.

Suddenly the prince found himself on his ass as Goku bolted upright. His eyes were panicked and he was panting heavily as the sweat fairly poured down his brow.

"What the hell is wrong with you Kakarrot?" Vegeta snapped, getting to his feet and scowling at the other man.

It took Goku a few minutes to realize where he was. And another few minutes to calm enough to notice the prince glowering at him. He could feel the slight tingle in his chest from his heart calming after racing so fast.

'_Damn, I'm sick of this. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just remember the details.'_

It was true. He couldn't remember a thing, but it left him with the very real impression that he should be terrified of whatever it was. He had the overwhelming urge to hug something, but didn't think that Vegeta would be too thrilled since he was the only something around.

"Sorry 'bout that Vegeta. It was nothing." He said getting to his feet and dusting off his clothes.

"I just…I'm not sleeping too well and I guess I was more tired than I thought." He said starting off mumbling and ending in a shaky but totally unconvincing laugh as he ran his hand through his hair in a calming motion.

Goku noticed the skeptic eye that Vegeta was cutting at him but the prince didn't say a word. Just continued to stare.

"Uh, so exactly what time is it?" Goku asked trying to change the subject.

Something was up, but Vegeta didn't press the issue. He'd let it slide for now. "I'd say it's almost 6."

"That late huh? I guess I better be heading home, I haven't really eaten all day. Uh you want to come?"

Vegeta thought about it. He was actually hungry too. His options were to go back to Capsule Corp and hope that Bulma hadn't taken it upon herself to 'dabble in the kitchen', which she was known to do from time to time with disastrous results, or go to Kakarrot's and cook a meal that he was actually going to be able to eat but would have to share with the other warrior. It didn't take him long to come to his decision.

"Whatever." He grunted.

Goku took that as a yes. They were about to fly off when Goku stopped.

"Oh wait…shoot…I totally forgot…"

"Forgot what?" Vegeta asked.

"I don't have any food, or any money to buy more. I haven't talked to Gohan since this morning." Goku said wondering how he could have let something so fundamental slip his mind.

"Baka…I'll buy the food. Just come on."

_------00------_

A short while later found the two in downtown East District. _'Maybe I should have just gone back to Capsule Corp. Anything would be better than this.'_ Vegeta thought as they pushed their basket through the fairly crowded aisles of the grocery store. Everybody in the city got off work at the same time it seemed and they'd all decided to congregate at the damned store. What luck!

"Hey Vegeta. What should we have?"

"It doesn't matter as long as it's edible. Just hurry up and get something so we can leave before I kill someone."

They made their way through the aisles, loading the basket down with whatever they might have wanted to eat.

Goku seemed to have perked up at the prospect of food. It would be great to eat with Vegeta. They hadn't actually shared a meal in a long time and it would actually be nice to have someone in the house with him for a little while. It was so lonely around there without Chichi or his kids.

_------00------_

The kitchen was the first stop after they entered the house. Bags littered just about every surface, the table, the countertops and even the floor. It's a good thing that the store had loaded everything into a capsule. They probably wouldn't have made it they'd had to carry all of the bags.

"I'm just going to put this stuff away." Goku said.

"So what exactly am I supposed to be cooking?" Vegeta asked rummaging through several bags and trying to figure out how to combine the conglomeration of ingredients to make a decent meal. Vegeta couldn't think of a use for half of the stuff Goku had him to buy.

Goku stuck his head out from the pantry door where he had been putting away the groceries.

"Oh, I'm going to cook for you this time." He said matter-of-factly.

"What?! You can't cook."

He frowned. "Sure I can."

Vegeta didn't make any effort to hide the skepticism that played across his face. Visions of charred, inedible, and unrecognizable food swam through his head.

"You don't believe me do you?" Goku asked.

"Not hardly."

"I'll just have to prove it to you then." Goku said. The level of determination in his voice was almost laughable.

"Look Kakarrot…as much as I think that it's your duty to serve me, maybe you should just leave the cooking to me."

"You're afraid of my cooking." Goku said.

Vegeta faltered. "You should know by now that I fear nothing…" but slow death by poisoning. He added sarcastically within his head. Capsule Corp was beginning to look like it would have been a better choice.

"Then I dare you to eat a meal that I cook." Goku said grinning mischievously.

How could Vegeta back down from a challenge? Even if it was something as trivial as eating food that he was sure to die from.

"Fine, baka."

Goku grinned triumphantly before setting to work.

_------00------_

Vegeta had been sitting with his arms crossed the entire time while Goku bustled around the kitchen. It appeared that Goku kinda knew his way around a kitchen. He had even set the table in between stirring various pots. He seemed to have everything under control, which really surprised Vegeta. But the test would be in the taste of the food that was deliciously scenting the entire house. But scents could be deceiving. Bulma was known to concoct "food" that smelled absolutely heavenly, and tasted like hell. Vegeta held on to his skepticism.

Goku was aware that Vegeta's eyes followed his every move. He took great care in mixing his ingredients and preparing his first real meal since Chichi had left. He couldn't remember the last time he'd cooked like this. He certainly hadn't done it for his ex-wife and he really hoped he wouldn't disappoint, especially after fairly boasting about his abilities.

They didn't really talk much while Goku was cooking. He was completely engrossed in what he was doing and didn't want to be distracted. Vegeta was content enough to wait out his fate in silence. When the food was finally finished, Goku placed several platters on the table before taking a seat across from the prince.

The younger man watched as the prince eyed his plate warily, seemingly contemplating the food that was presented before him. 'Now or never.' Vegeta thought as he lifted the fork to his mouth. To say that he was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. The food was exemplary. Gourmet cuisine for sure. Even better than his own cooking…probably the best he'd had in more years than he cared to count.

After that first bite, Vegeta didn't waste time finishing off his food. Neither man said anything, as the once abundant food became a memory. When he was finished, Vegeta studied the man across from him intently for a moment before speaking.

"Where could you have possibly learned to cook like this Kakarrot?"

Goku smiled. He took the question as a compliment. In an eerily accurate imitation of the Prince's earlier response when asked about his own ability to cook, Goku said, "A warrior must be able to fend for himself. Even if it involves tasks that are beneath his standing in life."

"Hm…Not much could be beneath your standing in life. But seriously. Not even the onna's mother could cook like this." Goku definitely wasn't lacking in creativity as far as cooking was concerned.

Now this was a deliberate compliment which was really something coming from Vegeta, and Goku wasn't about to trivialize it by gloating. He was just delighted that he'd satisfied the ouji's appetite.

"I guess I just picked it up somewhere."

"You don't just pick up cooking skills like this. It comes from practice."

"I don't really remember. It seems I've always been able to cook. But anyway, it's not that important."

Goku said as he cleared the cluttered table.

"Do you want some tea?"

Vegeta nodded and watched as Goku prepared the tea. He laughed to himself as he watched the other man. It seemed that years of being with Chichi had instilled the subtle art of hospitality in him…even if he didn't realize it. He looked like the perfect little housewife cleaning the dinner dishes and making tea.

After several minutes, Goku placed a steaming cup in front of the prince and sat back in his chair. Vegeta noted with interest that Goku seemed to be much calmer than he was earlier. Especially after he'd awoken at their sparring ground.

"You know…" Goku started, bringing Vegeta's attention back to him. "…I've been thinking. The other day when you told me about Saiyan mating customs I realized that I know very little about our culture."

"Obviously." Vegeta said blowing on the contents of his cup.

"Well, It's just that after I thought about it, your explanation seemed somewhat familiar. Almost like I'd heard it somewhere before."

This caught Vegeta's attention. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean it's really odd. It's almost like I can remember some things from Saiyan culture. Things that I know can't be anything I gained on Earth."

"So this has happened before?"

"Sure, but more frequently now than when I was younger. I get these glimpses of things that are unlike anything I've ever seen on Earth. I used to just attribute it to daydreaming, but it always seemed so real…" Goku trailed off taking a sip of his own tea.

Vegeta thought about it for a while. "It's probably your latent programming kicking in after all of these years."

"Latent programming… What's that?"

Vegeta sighed, explaining this was going to take half the night.

_------00------_

Later that evening near midnight Vegeta left and returned to Capsule Corp. The conversation he'd had with Goku after dinner was still playing in his mind. They hadn't done much more than talk. And Vegeta really hadn't minded explaining some of the finer points of their culture to the other man. Really, he'd rather enjoyed sharing his knowledge…at the least it made Goku a little more aware of his heritage, and Vegeta had had a hard time pulling himself away. He wasn't even the talkative type, but it was just so peaceful in that quiet little mountain house. It was much smaller than Capsule Corp, and considerably cozier without being as confining as some of the places he'd lived. He'd never really paid the place much attention having never really spent much time there since it was Chichi's domain. He'd just as soon pluck out his own eyes, than to spend too much time around her. But with just Goku there, things were so much different.

Vegeta passed through the kitchen and snagged some water before heading up to his room. The leftovers from Bulma dinner were still on the stove. He lifted one corner of the foil and took a peek, suddenly quite thankful that he'd chosen to eat with his sparring partner. Whatever the hell she'd cooked looked disgusting, especially since it was now cold and all of the grease had congealed on the surface and the water from the steam condensation on the foil left little puddles in the grease. What the hell was that supposed to be? He closed the lid and went to his room, not even bothering to put the unidentifiable food in the fridge. It clearly wasn't worth salvaging as leftovers.

_------00------The next day_

Ian looked up from his desk as the door opened and a young man in a dark suit walked in carrying a briefcase.

Gohan's eyes met those of the man he'd never seen before. "You must be Bulma's new secretary."

"Yes."

Gohan had known Bulma's previous secretary since he'd grown up around Capsule Corp. He'd been very fond of the woman and thought it was a great shame when he found out that she'd been murdered.

"Well, it's nice to meet you." The demi-Saiyan said. "I'm Gohan Son. I have a 1:30 meeting with Bulma."

Ian of course had known who he was. "Yes, well you're a little early and she's with another client right now. Would you like some coffee or something while you wait?"

Gohan sat in one of the chairs and put his briefcase on the floor beside him. He was indeed about 30 minutes early. "No, I'm fine."

Normally everyone that had met Ian had started a conversation with him to find out who he was. But this time it was different. Ian knew exactly who Gohan was when he first walked into the office. He wanted to get to know more about the handsome young man. He was glad that Gohan had shown up a little early. It gave him the opportunity for small talk.

"So Mr. Son. You work for Jetset Aerospace, right?"

Gohan nodded. "I've been there a few years."

"Oh, I've been following the company for a while. It's a world renowned organization."

Gohan had been working for Jetset Aerospace Incorporated or JAI, almost since its conception a few years earlier. Though relatively young, they were well known for their bold innovative designs and high-quality cost-efficient products. Gohan was the director of their research and development company. Because of his long-time friendship with Bulma he was hoping they could negotiate a deal that would merger them with the Capsule Corp empire and help bring about a revolution in his industry. It would be better for his smaller company to be a part of the larger corporation and take advantage of increased funding, instead of competing against it.

"Are you interested in aerospace technology?" Gohan asked. Not many people understood enough about the field to really be interested.

"Well sure. It's very exciting to watch things be accomplished that were never before thought possible. It takes real imagination to come up with something groundbreaking."

Gohan smiled. That's the reason he liked his job so much. It was his opportunity to use his creativity instead of just his book knowledge to create things. It was almost an art form.

Gohan and Ian talked a little while longer before the door to Bulma's office opened and several older businessmen stepped out followed by the blue-haired genius. It was actually almost 2:00 now, but Gohan hadn't really even noticed the time slipping by while he talked to Ian.

"Hey Gohan." She said after the other men had left.

"Good to see you Bulma."

"Sorry that meeting ran over a little. They just couldn't seem to decide what they wanted. I hate when people are indecisive like that. They end up wasting my time."

Gohan nodded.

"Listen, why don't we discuss this over a late lunch. I haven't had a chance to eat yet and I'm starving." She offered.

"Sounds good. I could use a good meal too." Gohan said not being one to turn down an opportunity for a meal.

"Ian, Do I have anything else scheduled on my books for this afternoon?"

"Only a sales briefing at 3." He said.

"Well call Trunks and have him cover for me. I'll be back by 4." She said.

Ian nodded.

"It was nice to meet you Ian." Gohan said before they left.

"Believe me. It was my pleasure." Ian smiled as he watched them leave the office.

_------00------_

Over lunch, Gohan discussed his idea of merging their two companies together. The details were quite extensive, but basically his company would become a division of Capsule Corp and maintain a fair amount of autonomy. All of the offices would be moved into the CC headquarters and Gohan would become the head of the division. They could pool their talents and resources and become partners instead of rivals.

The idea sounded wonderful to Bulma. Of course she knew that Gohan was a genius and had tried to recruit him to work for Capsule Corp right when he graduated from college, but he'd refused saying that he wanted to make something for himself knowing that he'd relied on what he knew instead of who he knew. Bulma of course could respect that and she wasn't at all surprised that he'd succeeded in proving himself so quickly. Now was her opportunity to get him in Capsule Corp and she wasn't about to turn it down. When they parted that afternoon, both were optimistic that the outcome would be favorable for all of those involved and well received by the stockholders.

_------00------_

Gohan made his way out of the city and toward Piccolo's waterfall. He hadn't seen his friend in a few days and he wanted to talk to him. He decided to fly instead of drive since he wanted time to arrange his thoughts that had almost immediately turned to his father's situation. He really wanted to talk to Piccolo about it…get his mentor's advice on what he should do.

Gohan landed softly and made his way toward a rock near where his friend hovered in meditative silence. Gohan sat on the rock and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. He'd already abandoned the jacket and tie in his hover car along with his briefcase.

"Hey Piccolo, how's it going?" Gohan asked knowing full well that the Namek was no longer meditating.

"Just fine."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes. Piccolo could tell that something was on the younger man's mind. He'd known him far too long to not be able to read him.

"I take it everything's not fine with you." It was a statement that Piccolo knew to be fact.

Leave it to Piccolo to throw tact to the wind.

"Well, I've been having some issues. A few things have happened in the last couple of days that were just completely unexpected."

Piccolo could tell that Gohan was skirting around whatever he wanted to say. "Just spit it out already."

Gohan looked up from the ground at his feet. It was funny. He was able to be bluntly honest with everyone except for Piccolo. He hadn't had one problem going off on his mother, but whenever he talked to Piccolo he felt like the little boy that he'd once been.

He sighed in resignation and rubbed his temples for relief. "I found out that my mom left my dad a few weeks ago."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later." Piccolo said, not all that surprised.

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked.

"Wasn't it obvious that they weren't very compatible. They had two completely different views on life and didn't see eye to eye on much."

"Well, I guess I didn't see it that way."

"When I stayed with your family for those few years while we trained for the androids, I kept asking myself how they'd ever gotten together in the first place."

"Hmm…well she left him and to make matters worse, she took all of his money and left him with no way to take care of himself. No food, no electricity, no phone…nothing."

Piccolo raised an eyebrow ridge. He hadn't really seen that one coming. Well Chichi was selfish and always whined if she didn't get her way, but she didn't seem like the ruthless type.

"I'm sure your father will be fine. He's got a survivor's spirit…you should know that not much would faze him."

Gohan nodded. They sat in silence a little while longer before Gohan's thoughts turned back to his meeting with Bulma. "Well I do have some good news. I talked to Bulma about a possible merger between JAI and CC. She was all for it. It looks like things are going to work out as far as that's concerned."

Piccolo nodded. He wasn't into business, but if it made Gohan happy. Gohan had been talking about this deal for a while and he was pleased that his young friend was satisfied.

"So Piccolo, do you wanna go out and celebrate? I know this great movie that's playing and then afterward we can go get something to eat…or drink in your case."

A look of incredulity crossed Piccolo's face. "You're kidding right?"

Gohan wasn't as optimistic as Piccolo that everything would work out. He really needed a bit of distraction from his problems, and he couldn't think of anything better than spending time with one of his favorite people.

"No, I'm serious. What do you say?"

"Gohan." He sighed, rubbing his nose. "I don't fit into the human world. It would be a mistake."

"You know I don't care what people think. And I was pretty sure that you wouldn't either." Gohan said.

Piccolo didn't care what other people thought. But humans were headaches. They were petty and thoughtless and annoying as hell. As Kami he'd watched them for centuries and he knew enough to steer clear of them whenever possible.

As Piccolo looked back across to Gohan he caught the older man's eyes. "Please Piccolo come with me…It'll be fun I promise."

Piccolo growled. He just didn't have the capacity to turn Gohan down when he nearly begged. "Fine." He grumbled. But he knew he wasn't going to like it.

The smile that lit up the younger man's face was enough to make it worthwhile.

"I need to go change clothes. Why don't you meet me at my apartment in about 2 hours?" Gohan said as he stood.

Piccolo nodded his assent before Gohan flew off back toward the city. Gohan figured that if he hurried he could stop by a little store and pick up something special before he made it home.

_------00------_

"Come on Piccolo, the movie starts soon and we need to hurry so we can get good seats." Gohan said looking down at his watch with a frown.

"Fine. I'm almost done." The Namek growled from within Gohan's bathroom. When he arrived at the demi-Saiyan's apartment, Gohan had thrust a plastic shopping bag in his hand and told him to go change. He didn't know what was wrong with his own clothes, but Gohan had said they made him look too uptight and confrontational. He just so happened to like looking uptight and confrontational.

Piccolo looked at himself in the full-length mirror and sighed. Here he was again in human clothes, just jeans and a short-sleeved knit shirt. He figured if Gohan could wear his style clothes, as he'd done so often when he was a boy, then Piccolo could make this exception and dress like a human for one night. He hadn't really been all that enthused at the idea, but he agreed just to make Gohan happy, though he outright denied that one.

The clothes weren't as comfortable as his normal gi, but they would do. At least it looked better than that postboy shirt that he'd worn when he was trying to learn to drive. Those had been utterly awful. He was thankful that the jeans weren't nearly as tight, though he wondered if the shirt was one size too small. It fit more than a little snug. He thought the seams would pop if he took a really deep breath. He glanced one more time at himself, doubtful that even these 'normal' clothes could make him look any less threatening.

Gohan's breath caught in his throat as Piccolo stepped from the bathroom. He'd envisioned his former mentor in that outfit when he bought it, but that vision paled in comparison to the real deal. The fibers of the deep purple shirt strained across his massive chest leaving absolutely nothing of his muscular physique to imagination. The top two buttons were open, giving that much more of a view to the smooth skin of his chest and throat underneath. And the bottom of the short sleeves hugged tightly across his powerful biceps, defining his massive muscular arms. Gohan just barely suppressed a groan at the thought of tasting that smooth skin. As Piccolo walked passed him to the door, Gohan couldn't help but stare at Piccolo's ass, clearly defined through the denim material. _'Damn he's perfect.' _Gohan thought.

"Are you coming?" Piccolo asked noting that Gohan hadn't moved since he came out. He began to feel a little self-conscious, wondering why Gohan was looking at him that way. He felt a little ridiculous.

The younger man quickly composed himself. "Yeah. It's just that…" Gohan wanted to tell Piccolo how hot he looked, but he decided against it and instead said. "Those clothes really fit you. You should dress that way more often."

"What? You don't like my regular clothes?"

"No…No, it's not that. It's just that you look good in those."

Piccolo smiled inwardly at the compliment, but never let the slightest hint of his pleasure show on his face. "Whatever. Let's just go…"

_------00------_

The theatre was nearly packed. Many couples had decided to spend a Friday night, catching a flick. Gohan watched as a young couple, about his age, sat near the fountain in the megaplex lobby kissing. He so wished that it could be him and Piccolo instead, but unfortunately they didn't have that kind of relationship. Gohan had loved Piccolo forever, but he was sure that his feelings weren't returned. No, wait…that wasn't entirely true. He was sure that Piccolo loved him, but as a friend or father figure and definitely not romantically. He would have prayed to Kami for the other warrior's love, if not for fear that Kami would actually hear his true feelings and Piccolo would find out his intentions. Even if Piccolo didn't openly shun him afterward Gohan wouldn't risk losing their easy friendship over something that would forever make them feel awkward around each other.

It's not that Piccolo was completely oblivious to his young friend's feelings. And it's not that Piccolo didn't return those feelings, though Gohan didn't know it. It's just that he wasn't really convinced that they could make a relationship work. They were too different, and though they say opposites attract, they had to at least have some similarities in order to actually stick. That was especially apparent now after what had happened between Gohan's parents. He was still trying to decide within his own mind if he should confess his feelings for Gohan or just leave them hidden.

Sighing almost inaudibly, he let the thoughts slip from his mind as he followed Gohan through the lobby. This was Piccolo's first time going to the movies and he really didn't know what to do. The first thing that he'd noticed was that there were far too many people for his liking. They were all packed into the building like sardines, bumping into one another as they passed. The tall Namek required space, and this was grating on his nerves. If he felt another person touch him, he was going to explode. He didn't care if it was accidental. Besides, the level of noise was nearly overwhelming, and he was already feeling the beginning of a headache. Why in the hell had he agreed to this again?

'_Please Piccolo come with me…It'll be fun I promise.'_

He grumbled at the memory of Gohan's plea. He'd been too easily swayed, and vowed that it wouldn't happen again. The strange looks that he was receiving did little to convince him that he'd made the right decision. He was different from the people around him. Too different to even try to blend in. Some of them were staring outright and others were trying not to be so obvious. He didn't know if he was uneasy because he was among so many humans, or if it was because his clothes were so damned tight. He really wished that he at least still had his own clothes on. Maybe then he wouldn't feel so self-conscious.

_------00------_

They made it to their seats before the lights had dimmed or the previews had begun. They had to sit all the way in the back because Piccolo was just too tall to sit any closer without craning his neck or blocking someone's view.

Piccolo held his cup of water and glanced occasionally at the mound of food that Gohan had.

"What's that?" He asked glancing at the huge cardboard bucket that Gohan held.

"It's called popcorn. Want to try some?"

Piccolo looked down at the water he was holding. "No, I think this is enough."

"Aww, come on Piccolo. It'll make the experience more authentic. Everyone eats popcorn at the theatre."

Piccolo looked around. Everyone did seem to be carting loads of snacks and eating in the dark. He reached into the bucket and picked up a few kernels before popping them in his mouth. It wasn't really bad, but it was way too salty and for someone that survived off water, salt was not his friend.

"Well?"

"Its okay, just a bit salty."

Gohan smiled, inwardly pleased that his friend was willing to try new things with him. "You want some more?"

"No, I'll pass."

They sat in silence for a few more moments until the lights finally dimmed all the way.

"The movie is about to start." Gohan whispered as if Piccolo couldn't gather that much on his own.

The previews were uneventful…just scenes of upcoming movies that were almost certainly over-hyped. Then the movie started. Gohan had told him that this was supposed to be one of the scariest horror movies produced in years. The first few scenes were pretty standard; just background for the main plot of the movie. Then it happened. Some completely unexpected, larger than life, utterly frightening phantom appeared on screen and scared the hell out of everyone in the audience, which unfortunately included many children whose parents had unwisely brought them along.

In one collective breath it seemed the entire audience screamed. The sound was shrill and piercing. Enough to crack glass. Piccolo could feel the vibrations of the sound waves as they jarred his body, setting his teeth on edge. The sound was amplified within his ears, seemingly reverberating to every nerve ending within his body. Piccolo jumped up, slapping his palm over his ears as he roared in pain, before falling to his knees in the wide aisle between the seats. In the process, he dropped his cup of water on the lady sitting directly in front of him. Her high-pitched screech wreaked havoc on his already throbbing ears. He felt like ripping them off just to save himself the agony caused by the cacophonous noise. The audience's initial shock from the onscreen apparition had died down taking the sound of their scream with it, and all eyes now focused on the scene that Piccolo and the lady were now making.

Gohan was immediately at Piccolo's side. "Piccolo…Piccolo! What's wrong!?"

"Harold, don't just sit there, do something." The woman screeched.

The man sitting directly in front of them jumped up from his seat. He was very well built and obviously strong by human standards. "What the fuck is your problem man? You dumped water all over my wife. Do you have a death wish or something?" He roared, used to people being afraid of his physical presence.

Gohan however was not impressed and just ignored him and the completely soaked woman; his main focus was on Piccolo.

"Hey man…I'm talking to you." He said grabbing a handful of Piccolo's shirt and trying to haul the hapless Namek onto his feet.

Gohan shot his hand out, gripping him around his throat and squeezing slightly. Enough to make breathing difficult and get his point across without actually killing him. He lifted him by his throat dangling him effortlessly over the row of seats. He wasn't normally a violent person, and usually he could control his anger. But time and tide had matured him much. There was no way he would let that man touch his Piccolo, especially while something was wrong with him and he couldn't defend himself.

"Look…" He growled. His voice held nothing but contempt. "We're sorry about your wife, but she'll dry. You, however, might not recover so quickly if you ever even think about touching him again."

Just as quickly as he picked the man up, he dropped him back down into his seat and turned his attentions back to his friend. The man lay sprawled gasping like a landed fish. He weighed nearly 300 pounds and this boy had just handled him like a child. He'd felt his windpipe struggle not to collapse under the boy's grip. He may have been angry, but he wasn't stupid and he certainly wasn't ready to die.

"Come on Brittany, let's go." He rasped as he grabbed his wife's hand, dragging her from the row.

Gohan gripped Piccolo's hands, gently but firmly trying to pry them away from his ears. But Piccolo refused adamantly. With the noise from the audience's murmurs and the movie still playing he wasn't about to un-guard his ears. Gohan held up his hand and formed an energy ball, not enough to damage anything, but enough to see by.

Blood, purple blood, Piccolo's blood seeped through his clenched fingers and ran down his forearm. It was then that the young demi-Saiyan realized what was wrong with him. The sound of the screaming was just too much for the Namek, whose hearing was way more acute than Gohan's own hearing. The young demi-Saiyan cursed himself for not having the foresight to see this coming. His own hearing was much more sensitive than a normal human's, and he had felt a little pain from the sheer volume of the sound, but he knew it wasn't nearly to the extent of his former mentor's pain.

Piccolo was huddled over on his knees, trying desperately to protect his ears. His head was throbbing and he was feeling more than a little nauseous. He thought he was going to pass out, and at this point he probably would have welcomed the darkness and silence of being unconscious. By that time the entire audience was looking in their direction trying to figure out whether to stay and gape, or to run. Suddenly the movie stopped playing and the lights were blindingly thrown on.

Several men dressed in guard uniforms rushed in followed by a couple of ushers.

"Come on Piccolo. I think it's time to go." Gohan whispered.

"What's the problem here? What's wrong with him?" One of the men asked pointing to Piccolo. He was completely no-nonsense.

"We don't really want to cause trouble. It was all a misunderstanding." Gohan said.

"Several patrons reported that you assaulted them."

"That's not exactly what happened. Like I said, it was all a misunderstanding."

"We don't tolerate rowdy behavior in this establishment. I think you two better follow me." The man said.

Piccolo stood up, shakily at first but with increasing stability. He let his hands fall to his sides though it still felt like someone was stabbing him in his ears. He allowed Gohan to lead him, his balance was off and he didn't want to chance poorly negotiating the steep steps that lead back out into the lobby.

After spending an eon in the security office trying to explain what had happened to the guards, they finally left. At least they'd succeeded in keeping them from calling the police with the stipulation that they'd never return to that Megaplex again. In Piccolo's mind that hadn't been an option anyway. He'd be damned if he ever allowed himself to be suckered into something like this again. His natural regenerative ability would help speed the healing process, but it wouldn't repair the damage overnight. As it stood, the damage to his eardrums would take a few days to heal and in the meantime, he would be extremely sensitive to any sound.

"Piccolo…" Gohan turned to his friend as they flew back towards the woods. He wanted to apologize for what had happened. He felt really bad for allowing Piccolo to experience this pain though he didn't have any way to predict or prevent it. It was just one of those things.

Piccolo however wasn't in the mood. He just wanted to get back to his cave and sleep the pain off. "Just forget it Gohan."

This incident just reinforced Piccolo's belief that he and Gohan existed in two completely different worlds that could co-exist, but would never really meet. He really loved the young Son, but he just refused to set them both up for such a devastating failure. He was especially convinced now that he would keep his feelings for the other man to himself and that maybe they should spend some time apart. Then Gohan would have the chance to get over him and find someone better suited for him…

…tbc…

A/N: Oh geez, I'm cruel. First its Goku and Chichi…now its Gohan and Piccolo and their relationship hadn't even had a chance before the problems just dumped on them. Can things get any worse? Knowing me probably. Andthat whole movie scene actually happened to me a few weeks ago when I went to see The Grudge. Who brings little kids to see movies like that? The screaming scared the hell outta me, and the ushers had to come in to calm people down!

Anyway, please review. I don't have anyone to read these for me at home so I don't know how I'm doing if you guys don't tell me.

Want to be notified when I update? Let me know by email or in your review. kaineko(at)hotmail,com


	9. When It Rains 08

**Warnings, disclaimers and such:** Hey, I'm updating. Can you believe it? It's amazing what you can do with a little extra time on your hands. Anyway, no warnings this time just a bit more plot development. Also, it seems that I've been going a bit too slowly for some people. Sorry about that, but I'm still fairly new at this and I really hate half-doing anything. But don't worry. Things are getting ready to pick up.**  
****  
****When it Rains  
By: Kaineko  
**

_Chapter 08..._

Several months passed transitioning the season from the gentle warmth and reawakening of spring to the scorching heat and vitality of summer. The summer night heat was nearly debilitating in its intensity. It was as if the sun had yet to set. Gohan was sitting on the sidelines of one of the most popular nightclubs in the city, sipping from his drink and wiping sweat from his brow. The heat had somehow managed to overcome even the air conditioning that he was sure was on full blast. It just couldn't compete especially with the multitude of bodies moving frantically to the rhythm.

Gohan watched the waiter leave and picked up the fresh drink he'd just left. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. But Goten had all but dragged him here. He could appreciate the fact that his brother was just trying to cheer him up, but this just wasn't his crowd. So far, he wasn't feeling it. Guys had been approaching him all night flirting a bit and attempting to exchange numbers or hook up for a fling. They had all been attractive, but not enough to really gain his interest. The fact that they all seemed shallow and unoriginal, using nearly the same line as the one before, didn't help either. Gohan was starting to wonder if they handed out a cheesy pickup-line book at the door or something.

Goten glanced over at Gohan then back to Trunks. He knew his brother well enough to know when something was bothering him and he knew exactly what…or rather who it was. He'd hoped by showing him that there were lots of other guys besides the thickskulled Namek, maybe it would cheer him up and help him get into the dating scene. But so far it hadn't really worked.

Looking back over to Trunks he stood and grabbed his hand. Maybe he could show Gohan how to have a good time. "We're going to dance. Why don't you grab one of these guys and get out here with us." Goten said.

"Yeah, that cute blond hasn't taken his eyes off of you all night." Trunks said gesturing to a guy that had indeed been staring unchecked for a while.

"No thanks. I'm perfectly fine watching from here."

Goten shrugged. "Your loss. Come on Trunks."

Gohan watched as his brother disappeared in the throng of bodies with Trunks. He sorta envied his brother's carefree demeanor. He wished that he could be like that, but thinks just never seemed to work out well for him. His thoughts drifted back to earlier in the week.

-FLASHBACK-

"Hey Piccolo, I was thinking that maybe we could spend a little time together. It feels like you've been avoiding me…."

'No, that'll never work. Confronting him rarely does.' Gohan thought as he flew low through the early morning sky enough ahead of the rising sun not to be blinded, but not so far that he encountered significant darkness. He'd been rehearsing what he would say to Piccolo since he'd decided to go see him. They hadn't seen each other for the last few months and Gohan missed him terribly. He tried, but he just couldn't accept Piccolo's refusal to have a relationship with him.

Piccolo had made an obvious effort to avoid him at all costs and Gohan couldn't take it any more. Piccolo wanted to go back to being friends, but now that his feelings were known, mere friends would never be sufficient. Quickly he suppressed his ki so that he wouldn't alert Piccolo and finished the few miles to Piccolo's location. He landed at the edge of a clearing, watching through the dense trees for a few moments as Piccolo grunted in exertion while doing some training. From his location he could see the small beads of sweat on his mentor's brow, and smell his wonderful amplified scent that was like warm spearmint, sharp with sweet undertones. He swallowed as his mouth started to water from the mix of the sights, scents and sounds. For the moment he was content just to hide and watch as long as he was undetected.

Even though Gohan's ki was still suppressed, Piccolo could feel the younger man's presence on the edges of his consciousness. He stopped what he was doing and turned in the direction that Gohan was standing in. Gohan knew the instant that Piccolo realized he was there. He stepped completely into the clearing, closing the distance between the two of them in a few purposeful strides. The frown that marred the Namek's face was almost enough to stop him in his tracks, but his desire was stronger than his fears.

As for Piccolo, his displeasure wasn't at seeing Gohan, but at the fact that logic would dictate that they couldn't be together. He wanted the younger man, more than he'd ever wanted anything else. But he refused to damage their relationship any more than it already was. What if they got together and it didn't work out. The only person he'd ever cared for would be lost to him. 'Avoiding him certainly isn't bringing you any closer.' Piccolo quickly shut off the part of his mind that was trying to defy logic and steeled his emotions. It wasn't that he didn't want Gohan around him anymore it was just that it hurt too much to see what he just couldn't have.

"What are you doing here Gohan?"

Gohan could barely find his thoughts, and the little script he'd practiced was lost as he actually confronted Piccolo only one thought stood out. "Tell me...truthfully. Why have you rejected me Piccolo?" He asked. His voice held a tone somewhere between accusation and pain.

Piccolo's throat clenched. No, no no…he hadn't rejected Gohan…had he. It wasn't Gohan he was rejecting, but a relationship beyond friends that would eventually destroy them. Piccolo turned his back toward the other man, not able to stand the pain he saw there. This wasn't going to be easy. "I haven't rejected you Gohan. But anything beyond friendship just wouldn't be practicable."

"You talk of practicality as if it were some business deal." Gohan said.

Piccolo faced him again. He had to make Gohan understand. He wanted their relationship to go back to the way it was before, without all these complications. "We are from two completely different worlds. My kind…Nameks aren't meant for commitment Gohan. It just wouldn't work."

"I remember seeing Nameks living together…committed to their family and community. It isn't so different. We aren't so different. Just give it a chance, we could make this work."

"Just like you parents did?"

Gohan looked hurt at the Namek's callous words. That hadn't been Piccolo's intention. He just wanted to make Gohan see that people from two different cultures shouldn't mix. It normally proved disastrous.

"That's not fair Piccolo."

"Reality rarely is Gohan."

Piccolo could feel the pain of denying his feelings…something that greatly unsettled him. But he couldn't allow his emotions to cloud his judgment. He was simply being honest with himself since Gohan couldn't seem to be.

"Look Gohan. Do me a favor and give this a rest. Take some more time for yourself and think about what I'm saying from a logical standpoint. You'll see that I'm right."

The young demi-Saiyan stood in silence for a few minutes. At one point in his life he would have thought that Piccolo could never be wrong. But on this subject he knew that his mentor's rationale was flawed.

"But…"

Piccolo cut him off. "That's the end of the subject Gohan. I refuse to continue this discussion."

It seemed that there was no changing his mind and he didn't think that his heart could take any more rejection. "Well, I guess I'll be going then Piccolo-san." He said reverting to his formal address of Piccolo. "I don't want to waste any more of your time." The younger man said as he turned.

Piccolo blinked, not able to fathom the amount of pain in the younger man's voice. "You never…"

He trailed off as he watched the younger man fly off. "…waste my time." He finished but it was already too late for Gohan to hear him.

-End Flashback-

"Mr. Son…Mr. Son?"

Gohan blinked rapidly, coming back to the present. He almost thought he'd just imagined the voice calling his name over the blaring sound of the music but the person called him again. As he turned he wondered who would know him in a place like this and address him so formally at that. But he smiled as he recognized the owner of the voice.

"Just Gohan…besides we're not at work." He answered.

"Okay Gohan. Can I sit down?" He asked gesturing to the table with the drink in his hand.

Gohan's answer was to slide over to make room in his booth. Ian sat down, placing his drink on the table in front of him.

"I've never seen you here before."

"This is my first time. It was my brother's idea."

Ian followed his line of sight to Goten who he could just barely make out in the sea of other dancers along with Trunks.

"Looks like he's enjoying himself. What about you?"

"Hmm. He seems to think I need to unwind."

"And do you?"

Gohan shrugged "Maybe." He said. But 'definitely' would have been a more accurate response. The official merger for JAI and CC was less than three weeks away, and Gohan had been swamped hammering out the last dents along with Bulma. Of course in his mind that was a piece of cake compared to his personal problems with Piccolo. Going home every night to his lonely apartment with no real hope of ever being with his longed-for lover was unbearable. His little brother knew him better than most. He was just trying to cheer him up.

Ian could see the loneliness in Gohan's pensive eyes. It wasn't very difficult to see if you paid enough attention and it certainly wasn't hidden very well. It simply either went unnoticed by people too busy to pay attention or was uncommented upon by those too polite. Though Ian's comments also went unvoiced, it wasn't out of politeness.

"Well in that case, let's dance?"

Gohan observed the carefree expression that his brother had as he danced and enjoyed himself. In fact none of the people dancing seemed to have a care in the world. Maybe that's what he needed. To push the thoughts of his problems aside for a while and just live in the moment. What could it possibly hurt?

"Why not." He said.

-00-

The music was pounding, rhythmic, thumping, vibrating as they took their place among the crowd. It seemed that the music never stopped, it was just one steady meld of beats providing the background for the "sex-with-clothes-on" style grinding that passed as dancing. Everyone swayed to the beat, bodies meshing frantically, erotically, hungrily. Sweat rolled, hair matted, clothes wrinkled and saturated. The whole scene was highly erotic, blatantly hedonistic, and enticingly arousing.

Gohan hadn't really noticed from the sidelines, his thoughts on other things. But no one could be in the midst of this display and not be affected, Gohan included. He and Ian were right in the middle of the action, not failing in their own display of self-indulgent hip swaying. Gohan couldn't remember a time where he just let himself be free…wild. It felt good. Ian was an excellent dancer; his body seemed to be perfect for the remarkable moves he was making. And to his inexperienced credit, Gohan kept pace well.

Ian moved his body just a fraction closer than seemed humanly possible without actually touching him. Gohan didn't seem to mind the close contact. As a matter of fact he seemed to be milking the attention for all it was worth. Ian could feel the evidence of the younger man's arousal as he finally brushed up against him while moving in time with the beat. Gohan groaned, his groin tightening, as his pants suddenly became entirely too tight. The heat and energy from Ian's body as he slid against Gohan were enticing. Ian could see the changes overcome his younger companion and he didn't try to hide the devilish smirk that crossed his devastatingly handsome face. Gohan noticed, but it just made him all that much more aroused. He was at a point where he couldn't take the teasing touches any longer.

They moved off the dance floor and toward the bar on the opposite side of the room from the table where Goten and Trunks were once again seated, and ordered a couple of drinks.

Ian took a sip of his drink and caught Gohan's eye, seductively sucking the ice from the glass, and rolling it around with his tongue before letting it slip back into the glass. Gohan groaned again as he watched Ian's tongue make love to the ice before it escaped back into the glass.

Ian leaned forward, his slightly cool, sweet smelling breath tickling Gohan's ear, making the short hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "You know, I could take care of that for you."

Gohan knew what "that" he was referring to. The dancing, music, and alcohol had mixed to produce a highly arousing adrenaline rush that was evident by the bulge that Ian was now referring to. Images of the two of them together, doing the most delicious things flashed through Gohan's mind. There was no doubt that he wanted this man and none that this man wanted him in return. Thoughts of Piccolo, Capsule Corp, and everything else went out the window. Only his growing lust remained. Gohan leaned forward, his lips almost touching Ian's ear this time.

"Let's go." He whispered, and with that they headed toward the door. As an afterthought Gohan made eye contact with Goten across the room and made a quick see-you-later gesture before disappearing with Ian.

-00-

"What's not to like about him? My brother doesn't seem to have a problem."

"Your brother's just sexually frustrated. His judgment is poor."

"Well wasn't the whole idea to get his mind off Piccolo and get him to hook up with someone?"

"Yeah, but someone a little less…I don't know. I can't put my finger on it, but something's off about that guy."

Goten frowned. It wasn't like Gohan had just left with the first guy that approached him. He hadn't actually given them the time of day. This Ian guy on the other hand he seemed to really like. "Well I think it's good that he's doing something to get his mind off of Piccolo. Maybe this Ian could be a good distraction for him."

Trunks noted the skeptical look on Goten's face. "I just hope he knows what he's doing."

"Well, he's been taking care of himself for a very long time."

-00-

The sexual tension was almost unbearable on the short drive to Gohan's apartment. He pulled up into the parking garage and they made their way through the lobby of the building. Within the private confines of the elevator compartment on the short trip to Gohan's floor, they could barely keep their hands to themselves. Ian shoved Gohan face first into the wall, pinning him while rubbing his hardened cock along Gohan's ass. His hands slid up Gohan's sides and around to his chest where it caressed his peaked nipples through the soft fabric of his shirt.

Gohan arched and moaned into the touch before sliding around to face Ian. They stumbled out of the elevator as it chimed, still groping frantically at each other. Gohan moaned softly enjoying the slightly exhibitionist rush of doing such naughty things in a semi-public place. He felt blindly for the right key to open his apartment door, never once breaking from his activity with the older man. He found it and deftly opened the door into which the two fell and it slammed closed behind them with a resounding click. Had Gohan been aware enough of his surroundings he would have felt the slight falter of a hidden ki close by, but he was too absorbed in his escapade with Ian to notice much.

-_A few weeks later_ -

The early morning rays of sunlight were just meeting Goku as he walked into his kitchen through the backdoor. He took a seat at the table and slumped forward with his head resting wearily on his forearm. He was tired and his head was beyond pounding at this point. His shift had ended just before sunrise and he was glad to be home. He'd taken up a job as an overnight security guard just to help stay afloat until he worked out things with Chichi…if he ever worked out things with her. He'd always been self-sufficient and he just didn't feel right taking Gohan's money. The job was crap with long hours and no benefits, but it paid his bills and he really didn't mind the few people he met. It's just that he wasn't used to being tied down so much and it was one more thing that kept him from finding any rest. Also it cut into the time that he and Vegeta had started spending together regularly.

After the first time he'd cooked for Vegeta, it had pretty much become routine. Vegeta wouldn't admit that he liked his company, but he also wouldn't turn down the offer of a good meal. So Goku just settled for that as the reason for the Ouji's frequent visits. But since he started working he hadn't really had the time to spend with Vegeta like he used to which wasn't good for him. The other Saiyan kept him together somehow, kept his mind off of his nearly overwhelming problems. Without Vegeta's company, he spent entirely too much time alone thinking and wallowing. Gohan and Goten had stopped coming around as frequently as in the beginning. He couldn't fault them; they did have their own lives to lead. But he couldn't help feeling a bit isolated lately.

Goku stood and made his way up to his bedroom. He removed his uniform and dumped it in a corner along with his boots and snagged some clean pajama bottoms on his way to his bathroom. After a quick shower he slid into the pants and stood in the bathroom mirror. He wiped the steam away from the glass and stared at his reflection. The dark circles under his eyes told the story of his insomnia. He looked like he hadn't slept in a year; that's how he felt too.

His sleep deprivation had finally reached the critical level and he was about to go crazy from exhaustion. He had to find a way to get not just some sleep, but some rest or his body was going to shut down on him. This whole situation had escalated past the annoying to the utterly ridiculous. His appetite was waning, his appearance was ghastly, and his mind was a jumbled mess of confused thoughts. He was having fierce headaches off and on for days and occasionally he'd blank out. The nightmares that invaded what little sleep he did actually get were taking over his entire subconscious and making him fearful and paranoid which wasn't exactly good for a security guard. He found himself flinching at the slightest of noises. The night before he'd almost blasted a stray cat that had snuck up behind him while he was on his post. It was getting a little hard to guard anything let alone function while living with this constant fear of something that he couldn't even name.

He hoped things would settle soon and return to some semblance of normality so he could get back to his life the way he was used to. But in the meantime, all he wanted was some rest. This was his off night and he wanted to be refreshed so that he could spend some time with Vegeta later that afternoon.

Goku opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a small bottle. About a week ago, he'd been rummaging for some aspirin when he ran across a mostly full bottle of some prescription drug. Picking up the short, fat bottle, he read the label and instantly remembered what they were. Nearly a year ago, Ox King had become sick with some weird strain of flu and Chichi spent a lot of her time taking care of him. She was more stressed than normal and her anxiety was making her sick. Her doctor had given her a prescription for something to help her relax and get more rest. Goku had fingered the bottle, contemplating whether he should take a few. They had certainly helped Chichi, and he'd thought that maybe they would help him too. He'd taken two that night, as directed, and they helped him sleep for a few hours, but they wore off quickly and he still woke up at sometime in the night and never did make it back to sleep.

Goku looked down at the bottle he now held. Maybe he should increase the dose a bit to compensate for his Saiyan metabolism. He opened the bottle, poured a handful of the tiny peach colored pills into his hand and popped them into his mouth rinsed down with water from the tap. He repeated the action with a few Aspirin to help his headache. That should be enough to keep him from waking after only a few hours.

In the few minutes that it took him to finish up in the bathroom he could already feel himself becoming drowsy. The near-constant pounding in his head had settled to just a mild throbbing and his limbs suddenly felt heavy. He poured himself another glass of water to sit by his bedside and left the room.

Something didn't feel right. The hallway seemed to have stretched to a thousand feet and he felt like he was moving at a snail's pace. By the time he actually made it the short distance down the hall to his room everything seemed to be spinning. He sat the glass on the nightstand and gripped it in an attempt to steady himself. Almost to the bed…suddenly everything was consumed in total darkness. He lost his grip and fell backwards, taking the nightstand and everything on it with him. His head connected with the rounded edge of the metal bed frame, filling the room with a sickening thud as a pool of blood began to blossom out from under him.

-00-

The Capsule Corp mansion was utterly quiet and devoid of everyone that was usually there, except Vegeta. He'd trained all day…well at least tried to train, but his concentration had been so shot that he'd finally just given up. He settled onto the plush couch in the living room and began aimlessly flipping through channels. As a rule he didn't watch TV too often, finding the shows to be the most idiotic drivel he'd ever seen. But on occasion he'd watch…when he needed a mindless diversion from his own overwhelming thoughts. This had turned out to be one of those days, when he just couldn't seem to stay in control of his mind. He needed to escape from himself and meditation was out of the question since he couldn't stay focused enough to even train let alone to meditate. Short of sleep, TV was the best distraction. After pausing on several channels, he finally stopped on a reality show where people were put in seemingly life threatening situations and had to escape unharmed to win their share of some prize money. It was truly amazing what humans called entertainment; some of it more freakish and sadistic than anything he'd witnessed on Frieza's ship.

After watching the show he turned off the TV deciding that humans were indeed sick, and that he'd had quite enough _'entertainment' _to last him for a while. That left him back at square one…with a head full of thoughts, and nothing to do. He started thinking about how nice it would be to have a good spar with his fellow Saiyan. But he hadn't seen Goku in almost a week. He was getting tired of sparring against the training bots, and longed for some time to train against his counterpart.

Vegeta had gotten used to seeing the other man everyday, spending the afternoon sparring in the mountains near Goku's home then eating dinner afterward. But Goku had taken a job that kept them from spending too much time together. Vegeta had been disappointed but he didn't say anything. Goku needed to do what he felt was important and Vegeta wasn't going to stop him.

Vegeta couldn't help think about all the days that they'd spent together mainly talking. Vegeta would explain about customs and life on Vegetasai as he remembered it. He hadn't been aware that Goku was genuinely curious about their home world until one night the younger man had asked him to explain again Saiyan bonding protocol and the reason he and Chichi were no longer together. Of course Vegeta hadn't denied his request. Talking about their lost race and customs with something akin the nostalgic deference. It brought back many memories; some good, some bad, but all cherished. He hadn't realized how lonely he was…they both were in fact until that time. Not surprisingly bringing up such a subject also gave him insight to the fact that Goku was no longer pining over that onna. Though with his gentle human sentiment, he just wished they could be on better terms.

In their time together, Vegeta had learned that though not formally educated, Goku was anything but stupid. Of course he had always suspected that the other Saiyan was sharper than he let on. In the past few months Vegeta had learned a lot. It was like meeting Goku all over again. They were getting acquainted in a way that they'd hadn't had the opportunity for before. The prince's feelings for Goku were becoming clearer in his mind and harder to ignore every day. He wasn't at the point that he could admit that he loved Goku, but he could at least acknowledge within himself that he cared. That in and of itself was a promising step in the right direction. If only he could take another.

Vegeta glanced at the clock and noticed that it was mid-afternoon already. This was Goku's off day and they had planned to meet up for a light late afternoon spar and a meal. Leaving the living room he stopped at the door and quickly pulled on his boots. As he opened the door to leave, he ran headfirst into Trunks.

"Damnit brat! Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry dad." He said offhandedly. Apparently something else was on his mind. "Have you seen mom?"

"Not since this morning. Why?" Vegeta really wouldn't have been interested if the boy hadn't seemed so frantic.

"Someone broke into her private lab last night! I've been trying to call her cellphone, but she isn't answering."

"Why the hell are you so frantic? Just call the police and file a report."

Trunks shook his head, his face still grim. "No you don't understand. I already talked to the police, but I don't think they'll be of much help with this one. Whoever it was downloaded copies of all her research on Saiyans and demi-Saiyans."

"What!" That got his interest. "I thought that place was heavily secured. How did someone get passed it?"

"Get passed what?" Bulma asked coming in through the still open door.

"Your private lab was broken into woman, and all your information on Saiyans was stolen." Vegeta stated.

"That's impossible!" Bulma said incredulously. "My security system in that building is state of the art. It couldn't possibly have been broken into."

"The strange thing is that there were no signs of forced entry into the building itself that would have tripped an alarm and the night security guard said that he didn't admit any visitors. I figured if someone entered the building they must have had advanced security clearance and used a keycard for one of the back entrances."

"You think one of our employees did this? But not very many employees have that level of clearance into that building."

"True, but it gets stranger. Whoever it was disabled the video feed from the delivery entrance all the way to your lab. I had the guard check the electronic access archive. He found that there was only one entry last night after hours…" Trunks said leaving an exaggerated silence hanging in the air.

"Kuso, cut the drama boy and spit it out!" Vegeta spat, already more than annoyed. His previous destination to Goku's completely forgotten.

"It was Julie Sanders…"

Bulma gasped, her blue eyes growing impossibly large and taking on an utterly shocked look.

Vegeta frowned. "Who the hell is Julie Sanders, and why would she want info on Saiyans?" Vegeta asked completely clueless.

Bulma, getting over her initial shock quickly, responded. "Julie was my personal assistant for years. But she was murdered several months ago…" Bulma said leaving the statement hanging.

Bulma thought for a second. "Wait a minute. Even Julie didn't have access to my private lab. Her key could only open the building, but not the actual lab."

"Exactly. That's how I knew someone had broken in. Apparently they hacked the lab security system and melted the door lock and knob with some kind of acid." Trunks said holding up his hand that was blistered and showed signs of a chemical burn from where he'd grabbed the knob. "Whoever did this was really good."

Vegeta's tactical mind contemplated all the bits of information he was given so far. No forced entry into the building that would rouse suspicion, but obvious forced entry into the lab itself and the electronic keycard belonged to a secretary that was murdered months ago. He quickly came up with a conclusion. "So obviously whoever killed her, took the key and used it to get passed the security system to keep from alerting the guard. But that still doesn't explain why they stole data on Saiyans."

He paused and thought about it for a moment before he turned to his son. "Trunks, did they steal any other info, or was it just the stuff on Saiyans?"

Trunks knew the reason behind the question. If they'd stolen other secrets, then they probably just took the Saiyan info along with the other files. But if they only took the info on Saiyans, then they had a very specific use for it in mind, and Trunks didn't want to envision what that could be. "It was only the files on Saiyans. Apparently that's what they were after because all the files on our prototypes and new inventions weren't even accessed."

It was then that Bulma realized she'd been standing there all this time with the door open. She walked completely into the house and closed it behind her, still trying to make sense of what was going on. "This just doesn't make any sense. What does Julie and Saiyans have in common?"

There was a brief silence before Vegeta spoke up. "Nothing. Maybe whoever killed her did so to takeover her access to Capsule Corp. Maybe the ultimate goal was to gather the records on Saiyans."

Vegeta didn't like this situation one bit. It sounded suspiciously like enemy reconnaissance to him. "Onna…exactly what was contained in those files?" He asked, his pessimism already leading him to think the worse.

"Well, let's see. All the info I've gathered over the years on Saiyan and Demi-Saiyan history, culture, and physiology. I also had your original ship's hard drive translated and backed-up on there…oh Vegeta! Do you think it's some new enemy trying to investigate Saiyans to find their weaknesses?"

Vegeta scoffed as her so-called genius mind finally realized what he'd already perceived. "It's either that or one of those ruthless earth journalists trying to prove his alien-life theory." He said sarcastically.

"This is bad. What should we do?" Trunks asked.

"Maybe we should call the other z warriors." Bulma suggested.

"No. Not yet. First onna, you and Trunks go and backup those files and delete them completely from that computer system. Then transfer them to a safe place where absolutely no one but you two will have access."

"What will you do?"

The prince had been in way too many life and death battles to allow himself to take anything for granted. He had a lot of issues that needed addressing and he had an idea of the only place he could probably get them dealt with quickly. "I'll go see Dende. We are his wards." Vegeta said sarcastically. "He should know something about any new threats to earth. We'll meet back here afterward."

Trunks and Bulma nodded before setting off to do their task. Vegeta left the house and blasted off towards Dende's lookout.

-00-

Dende stood on the edge of the lookout clutching his staff in much the same manner as Kami once had. He could sense Vegeta approaching in the distance and knew what the reason was before he got there. After all, he was the guardian and he could tell everything that was going on with earth's inhabitants. Especially those who held a special place in his life like the z-senshi.

Sifting through his recent visions, his heart clenched at the life-altering enormity of the foreboding future. Something was going to happen that would have a tremendous impact in the lives of his special friends. Unfortunately he knew that he was not free to interfere, or even discuss the issue. Apparently whatever was going to happen was supposed to, and his benevolent interference would only end up inflicting more harm than good. He really hated not being able to at least warn his friends, but at least he understood the reasoning behind it. This was the ethical dilemma that he faced where his friends were concerned. He understood the delicate nature of his position and the many ramifications the earth would face if he meddled too much. There was a natural order to things, and for the most part it was better left intact.

Vegeta landed on the lookout with the young guardian facing away from him. He was a bit annoyed because he knew Dende had sensed his arrival. He tapped his booted feet on the surface while clearing his throat loudly to gain the other's attention. Dende turned toward him and began to approach. He noted the solemn look on the young guardian's face and wondered if there really was a new enemy about to appear.

"Good afternoon Vegeta-san. What brings you up here today?"

"You know why I'm here. What the hell is going on? Is the earth again under threat of attack?" Vegeta said, all business as usual.

Dende looked the man in the eye, never flinching though the volume of the Ouji's voice hurt his sensitive hearing. "No." He answered, not offering any more.

Vegeta waited for Dende to elaborate further, but when he was greeted with silence he became annoyed. "I presume you know that Capsule Corp. was broken into and sensitive information on Saiyans was stolen."

Dende nodded affirmatively.

"Then I also presume that you know who was responsible. Maybe even why." Vegeta stated factually, already knowing it to be true. Dende however didn't acknowledge the fact, nor did he dispute it.

"If there's no new enemy, then who could possibly have something to gain from information on us? Are you going to tell me, or are you planning on remaining silent?" Vegeta asked.

Dende hadn't said that there was no new enemy. He'd just said that the earth wasn't under threat of attack. Ethically speaking it wasn't a lie. He'd just not divulged the whole truth. He truly felt horrible for not intervening, but he couldn't ignore the fact that some things were just supposed to occur no matter how devastating. "Listen Vegeta. I'm sorry, but I can't help you figure this one out. On advice from the Kai's I have been warned to refrain from intervening in the lives of the Z-senshi whenever possible. You just have to trust me that everything happens for a reason, and it's better if I interfere as little as possible. Whatever happens…happens."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes in annoyance. Apparently Fate was pissed that her plans are always thwarted, and Dende was of the notion that he'd been hampering destiny. "Aren't you the Kami of this planet? Shouldn't you decide where to interfere and what should happen on _your_ planet?" Perhaps a twist of words would help persuade him.

Dende sighed, shifting his staff to the other hand. When he'd first taken the job, he'd thought the same thing. He'd meddled in many of earth's affairs instead of just allowing them to play out and it had some dire consequences. After a few years of experience, and the advice of the Kai's and the former Kami, he was made aware of his erroneous actions. "My duty as Kami is to protect the earth as a whole from impending catastrophes. I do not, however, micro-manage the lives of its inhabitants. I could very easily meddle in the affairs of earthlings, but then what good would it be for them to have freewill in the first place? People on this planet are allowed the freedom to make their own choices and thusly, they reap the benefits or suffer the consequences. I have no right to take that away from them…nor the desire."

Vegeta was beyond frustrated at the guardian's unwillingness to cooperate. Whatever was going on involved him and the only person with any knowledge was holding back information. He wanted to grab the Namek by his cloak and shake some sense into him, but refrained out of begrudged respect.

"Fine Namek!" He growled, thoroughly pissed. He couldn't force the boy to talk, but he knew something was going on. He'd just have to keep his eyes pealed for any new dangers.

'_Just trust me Vegeta. I think this is for the best.'_ Dende thought, watching the angry Saiyan leave.

-00-

Piccolo's mind was still numb. He couldn't begin to fathom what he'd seen that night. His mind just couldn't process the thought but at the same time he couldn't erase the images that were seared into his memory. Gohan…_his_ Gohan had cheated on him. Okay technically Gohan wasn't his, so it wasn't actually cheating, but the pain of betrayal was there all the same.

For days after Gohan had confronted him that early morning, Piccolo had really given their relationship some thought. He hadn't meant to hurt him…the pain on Gohan's face had nearly crushed his heart. The very same heart that he didn't think he had before he met the young boy that would alter his world. He'd remembered the first time he'd seen the boy. How annoyed he'd been that such a softhearted, whiny brat could possess power that not even he could fathom and be completely, innocently unaware of it. That boy that he'd thought wouldn't last through his training, that boy that he'd faced as an angry oozaru, that boy that he'd sacrificed his life for, that boy that…wasn't a boy any more. He was a man…a fine man that had adult needs. He no longer needed the mentor that Piccolo had been when he was young. Now he needed the lover that Piccolo refused to be.

'_I don't want to ruin our relationship.'_ He'd thought. But that's exactly what he'd done with his refusal. He'd be lucky if Gohan ever talked to him again. Did he really want to risk not even seeing Gohan again, just because of some…some what?

'_Fear.'_ His mind sneered.

He hated to admit it, but the little voice was right. It was fear that was wedged between him and Gohan not incompatibility. It was then that Piccolo realized that he'd been letting his irrational pessimism get in the way of something that could be beautiful. Gohan had offered him the most valuable gift of all…his heart. And Piccolo had just turned him away because of something that he abhorred. His own fear. The Namek cringed at the thought of his cowardice. He'd never…never been one to back away from a challenge, so why start now.

Piccolo had gone to Gohan's apartment later that night to talk to him, but he wasn't there. No matter he decided to just wait. When he finally did see the demi-Saiyan his heart had shattered into a thousand pieces. He couldn't believe that Gohan was in the arms of another man. The potent scent of the stranger's arousal mixed with the demi-Saiyans own scent was sickening. Piccolo had to fight the urge to vomit. He watched in despair as they stumbled into Gohan's apartment, never breaking their kiss, and cried for the first time in his life.

Piccolo shifted his position until he was stretched out on his back and gazing up through the sparse canopy of trees at the clear sky. This was entirely his fault. He'd pushed Gohan away and he had no one else to blame. He'd been foolish and stubborn and because of that he'd lost his opportunity for the best thing that could have ever happened to him. He didn't think that anyone could be more miserable and pathetic than him!

-00-

"So what did he say?" Bulma asked as soon as Vegeta walked back in. She'd been on pins and needles since he'd left.

"Nothing useful."

"So he doesn't know what's going on?" She asked.

"Oh he knows what's going on, he's just not saying. He spewed some bullshit about not meddling in earthling affairs, and letting whatever happens…happen."

Bulma was confused. Why was Dende suddenly being so taciturn? "Should I call the other senshi and let them know what's going on?"

"Do what you will, but I really don't believe that this concerns them. The only useful thing that damned Namek said was that this was not an attack on Earth. It has something to do with me…but I don't know what."

Bulma thought about it. She didn't want to get her friends nervous or riled up over something that even Dende said wasn't a threat to Earth. They'd all had their share of worries over these battles and she didn't want to burden them more…especially if it were for nothing. "No, I won't call them." Bulma said. "But someone should talk to Goku, Gohan and Goten since they're also Saiyan." She said.

Vegeta started at the mention of the other warrior's name. He'd just about forgotten about his intended spar with Goku.

"I was going to spar with Kakarrot today. I'll tell him about it then and he can tell his brats.

"I can tell Goten about it. I'd planned on seeing him today after my meeting…whoa." Trunks looked at his watch, shocked by the time. "We better get back to headquarters or we'll be absent for our own meeting." Trunks said to Bulma.

"You're right." She said looking at her own watch.

-00-

Vegeta left the house right after Bulma and Trunks heading toward the east. As he approached the mountains where his fellow Saiyan's house was, his sixth-sense went into overdrive. Something was wrong…a deep sense of foreboding washed over his being. He tried to shrug it off but it just continued to increase. He figured it was just a bit of anxiety over the break-in at Bulma's office. It didn't help that the damned Namek was being cryptic and irritating. '_Why the hell won't he just come right out and say what's going on? Is he deliberately being enigmatic just to piss me off?' _Vegeta wondered.

Vegeta's pace increased unconsciously. The wind was whipping through his unruly locks, leaving a faint fresh outdoors scent clinging to him. A few minutes later he touched down outside of Goku's house. He knocked a few times and waited, but no one answered the door. Out of habit, he quickly ki scanned the immediate area thinking that maybe the other warrior was in the nearby woods. What he got back in return sent his mind reeling. Goku's ki signature was abnormally low and pain-filled, but it was coming from within the house. The prince didn't think, he only reacted, pushing the door open and entering the house forcefully. Following the ki signature, he made his way up the stairs to a part of the house he'd never been in. He peered in several doors before he finally found the one he'd been looking for.

Shock, confusion, a bit of panic all flashed across his face. Vegeta quickly took in the appearance of his surroundings. Goku was laying on the floor, his nightstand overturned and the scent of burning plastic permeating the room. Underlying the burning scent was the unmistakable stench of blood. Vegeta stepped into the scene and up righted the lamp that was overturned and presently burning a hole through the lampshade. Shards of glass, seemingly from a glass, crunched under his boots as he stepped closer. He kneeled next to Goku, noticing the puddle of crimson that had pooled under the other man's head, and shook him in an attempt to rouse him, but there was no response. Goku was cold and clammy to the touch almost like a corpse. The unhealthy pallor of his skin and the emotionless features of his face did little to aid in his appearance. It was only because of the faint ki that Vegeta even knew that he was still alive. Vegeta put his thumb on Goku's eyelid, gently lifting it and holding the lamp up. The light shined brightly in Goku's face, but his pupils were fixed and dilated.

Cursing in a mixture of languages, Vegeta picked up the larger man, awkwardly holding him like one would cradle a baby. Vegeta didn't have time to contemplate what had happened or how long the other warrior had been like this. The only thought that raced through his mind was that he had to get Goku to Capsule Corp's medical wing. All other questions he could ponder later. Goku's dangerously low ki was still dropping and he was sure that the man would die if he didn't get medical attention quickly. Blasting into Super Saiyan, Vegeta picked up his speed and raced toward West City trying not to jostle the man too much.

-00-

Doctor Moseri and his assistant were sitting in the medical wing enjoying a cup of coffee while discussing some new medical findings. His job as on-staff physician to Capsule Corp was fairly cushy. There were long stints of inactivity punctuated by sporadic episodes of life-threatening injuries. Ms. Briefs really did have some outlandish acquaintances. The overwhelming excitement aside, his job did afford him the opportunity to conduct research and the Briefs had given him a wonderful state-of-the-art lab.

Suddenly the doors of the medical bay crashed in and Vegeta rushed in carrying Goku in his arms. Dr. Moseri and his assistant jumped to their feet, the assistant spilling coffee all over the table. They had been there long enough to know that whenever Vegeta crashed through a door it normally meant trouble. They watched as he placed the other warrior on a table and stepped back before turning to them.

"Don't just stand there you idiots! Help him!" Vegeta yelled annoyed at what he perceived as their ineptness.

The men rushed forward, checking the unconscious man's vital signs and hooking him up to monitors.

"What happened?" Dr. Moseri asked noting the blood matted on the back of the man that he recognized immediately as Goku.

"I don't know. I just found him passed out on the floor like that. I tried to wake him, but he wouldn't respond. There was a pool of blood under his head like he hit it or something." Vegeta stated trying to sound calm, but knowing he was failing miserably. He stood to the side of the room and watched as they stripped him to the waist and started hooking up monitors, wires, and an IV. They worked for what seemed like eternity to the man that was on edge. For a while Vegeta didn't think they were making any progress. But slowly he felt Goku's ki begin to rise to a still low, but satisfactory level.

"What the hell is going on?" Vegeta asked once they began to clean their implements and change Goku into some sort of hospital gown.

"He has stabilized but we want to run some cat scans to see the extent of the damage he suffered from the blow. My first guess would be a concussion, but we need to make sure."

Vegeta looked at the still pale figure lying lethargically on the table. "How long will he be out like that?"

"It's hard to say with a head trauma. His unconsciousness could be temporary…or not. We'll run some tests and examine his brain waves to get a clearer picture of his condition. This may take some time though while we set up the equipment and prepare him."

Vegeta nodded and left the medical bay slightly less panicked than when he'd come in, but still a bit shaken. He made it back up to the kitchen and picked up the phone to call Bulma.

-00-

Ian answered the phone on the first ring.

"Put Bulma on the phone." Vegeta demanded, still not up on phone etiquette and at the moment too on edge to even try.

"May I ask who's calling?"

"No…just put the onna on the phone."

"I'm sorry but Ms. Briefs is in a meeting right now. Would you like to leave a message?"

"I don't care what the hell she's doing. Just put her on the phone now!"

Ian tried to remain calm. "Again sir, I'm sorry but if you leave your name and number, I'll let her know you called."

Vegeta grumbled and slammed the phone down. Quickly, he exited the house and flew toward Capsule Corp's downtown office. A few minutes later, he landed in front of the building not giving a rat's ass about who saw him and what they thought. He stormed up to the receptionist's desk.

"Hello Mr. Vegeta." The receptionist said, knowing exactly who he was from previous experiences, some that they still talk about in the employee break room. Vegeta didn't even acknowledge her. He walked right past her and to the elevators with the pass that he kept in his wallet.

Vegeta took the elevator up to Bulma's floor and walked to her office. When he walked in the man who he'd assumed had denied his demand to speak with Bulma greeted him.

Ian looked up as the door opened and saw a short, muscular man with an intimidating scowl enter. "Good afternoon, how can I help you?"

The prince tried to remain calm, already not in a very amicable mood, but not wanting to further compound the situation by doing anything harsh…like ringing the man's neck. "Where is Bulma?"

Ian immediately recognized the man's deep gravely voice from the phone. "She's in a meeting right now." He said glancing back at her office doors. "Do you have an appointment?"

"I don't need one." The prince said walking passed Ian's desk and pushing the doors to Bulma's office open and stepping inside.

Ian rushed in after him. "Wait! You can't just go in there!" He cried grabbing Vegeta's shoulder in an attempt to stop him.

This man was already treading on thin ice with the prince, and then he had the nerve to actually touch him. Vegeta grabbed Ian's hand, twisting it painfully, stopping just short of breaking his wrist, effectively bringing the larger man to his knees.

"Don't touch me." Vegeta said in a deadly calm voice.

Ian let out a sharp cry of pain, jerking his hand back as Vegeta finally released it and cradling it to his chest.

"What the hell is going on?" Bulma screeched jumping up from her place at the head of a conference table on one side of her office. She'd been in the middle of a meeting discussing the new CC/JAI product line. Everyone in the room stared openly at the spectacle created by the prince's entrance. Trunks and Gohan also jumped up and walked over to the scene.

"I'm sorry. He insisted on seeing you and I couldn't stop him." Ian said through pain-clenched teeth.

"It's okay." Bulma assured him.

"Are you alright?" Gohan asked kneeling beside Ian and checking his wrist for broken bones. "Maybe you should go to Employee Health and have that looked at."

Shaking his head he said, "No, I'm okay."

"Dad, what's going on?" Trunks asked. It had to be major for his dad to even bother to come.

"Something happened to Kakarrot. He's in the Med Bay now with those doctor's trying to help him."

"What?" They cried in unison.

"What happened to my father Vegeta?" Gohan yelled standing to demand answers from the ouji and completely forgetting about Ian.

"Hell if I know. That doctor said something about head trauma and cat scans. They're running some tests to check the amount of damage. I found him nearly dead on his bedroom floor, lying in a pool of his own blood. The fool probably fell and hit his head again."

Bulma ignored the fool comment. It was obvious that Vegeta was concerned or he wouldn't even be there in the first place. "Where was Chichi?" Bulma asked.

Vegeta, Gohan and Trunks looked at each other and realized that she was completely clueless to the situation. Bulma of course noticed the looks. "Okay, what's going on?"

Vegeta stopped the conversation before it started, not wanting to get into a lengthy discussion about that. "Look, we don't have time for this." He huffed.

"You're right. I'll call Goten and tell him what's going on. You and mom go back to the house and I'll meet you there." He said pulling out his cell phone.

Bulma turned to the group of people who'd been enthralled by the whole conversation playing out before them. "Sorry everyone, but we'll have to continue this meeting another time. Ian, cancel all of my appointments for the day." She called out over her shoulder as she left.

Ian nodded and stopped Gohan as he was about to walk out behind them. "I hope your father's okay. I'll call you later to check up on you." Gohan nodded and left.

-00-

Most of their friends sat gathered around Bulma's living room and spilling out into the main hallway and kitchen. She'd taken it upon herself to notify everyone she could think of, and to tell them about Goku's condition. The prince was more than annoyed and felt that the only people that should be there; other than him, Bulma, and Trunks; were Goku's brats. Everyone else was just extra baggage sucking up all the fresh air. Still, he sat in the corner; quietly waiting for Dr. Moseri to come up and tell them what was going on with the other warrior.

"Gohan, did Chichi say when she'd get here?" Bulma asked bringing up the topic from earlier. Everyone looked toward the prince as he groaned. Leave it to Bulma to further sour an already dismal mood.

"Um…I didn't call her. I don't think she'd come." Gohan said.

"Why not?"

"Well Mom and dad aren't together anymore Bulma." Goten interjected.

"What? That's news to me."

"She left him a couple of months ago." Gohan offered.

"Why didn't he tell us something?" Yamcha said.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. _'Maybe it's because Kakarrot doesn't trust you idiots.'_

Gohan just shrugged his shoulders and relayed the events of the entire incident, including the way Goku found out about his money that none of them even knew he had. They all figured he'd blown all of his winnings on food.

"You mean she just took everything. We had no idea."

Gohan nodded. "She has still refused to give any of the money back." You could hear the bitterness in his voice.

"How's he making it? Why didn't he come to me for money?" Bulma asked. "I mean there's no shortage around here."

"You know dad, Bulma. He has no problem roughing it. I'd been paying his other expenses for him, but he got a job a few weeks ago to help get him back on his feet."

"A job doing what?"

"A security guard at night."

"Well he's certainly qualified for that…"

Vegeta shook his head as he silently observed their conversation. They were supposed to be his friends, yet he hadn't felt compelled to invite them intimately into his life. It also didn't escape his attention that Goku had shared the info with him. Perhaps, at least on some unconscious level, Goku felt more connected to the prince than to the others. Vegeta couldn't help feeling a smug contentment at the thought.

Just then the doctor appeared in the room.

"How is he?" Bulma asked. It seemed that the whole room held their breath in collective anticipation.

"He's still unconscious."

Gohan spoke up. "Do you expect him to regain consciousness soon?"

"Actually, we don't know..."

Vegeta's gruff voice cut the doctor off. "When will you know?"

"We're running an electroencephalograph right now…"

Again Vegeta cut him off. "What the hell is that? Damn it! Speak plainly."

"Oh, yes…" He said removing his glasses and wiping them on a cloth. "…well it's a machine that monitors brain activity. So far his brain pattern is registering abnormal. But that's not unexpected given the fact that he suffered such a severe blunt trauma to the left anterior lobe. He could be in a lingering comatose state merely for hours or days. Right now we'll just have to wait and see."

Krillen shook his head in confusion at the whole situation. "I wonder what happened. I mean Goku isn't really the clumsy type. Carefree yes…clumsy no."

That was true. Goku had to be one of the most graceful people that they knew. It had always been apparent, especially in his fighting...the execution of his movements. They always looked so complicated, but so simple at the same time.

"Vegeta, when you found him, did there appear to have been a struggle?" Bulma questioned with the earlier break-in incident floating through her mind.

"There were a few things knocked over, but nothing that would indicate that someone had fought with a man as powerful as Kakarrot. If that had happened, I doubt that his house would have even been standing."

The doctor cleared his throat. "If I may interject. While running lab tests on Mr. Son, we found an elevated level of Diazepam in his blood that would imply that he'd ingested a rather large dose. It's just a theory, but perhaps he initially lost consciousness before he fell, instead of as a result."

Vegeta was rather annoyed with the whole situation. He hated when people talked about things that he didn't understand. "What the hell is Diazepam?"

"It's also called valium. It's most commonly used as a prescription sleep aid. When taken in large doses it can be lethal. It's a muscle-relaxer that can, not only damage the liver, but also arrest the heart. Mr. Son's physiology is different from humans, in that his body ingests substances on a cellular level much more rapidly than a human. Because of that, it's much easier for him to overdose. He probably took the medicine and started to suffer from the effects within minutes."

"I always figured that Saiyans were more tolerant of things like that." Bulma said. "But actually it makes sense. Just look at how fast a Saiyan's body absorbs food. They eat more food than a human could imagine and within 2 hours are ravenous again. The nutrients must be absorbed extremely fast."

"That's really interesting and all Bulma…" Krillen interjected. "…But why would Goku be taking sleeping pills in the first place?"

Suddenly everyone turned as Trunks began to speak. "I know that Goku was suffering from insomnia. Goten told me about it and asked if I knew what to do. That's why I was in your office today. I went to do some research on Saiyan sleep disorders."

Everyone turned toward Goten for an explanation. "We don't know why, but every since mom left he's been kinda weird. He walks around like a zombie, always has a headache, and isn't sleeping well. At first we assumed he was depressed over mom, but he swears that's not the case."

Vegeta too had noticed the other man's strange behavior. He knew that the woman wasn't the problem from his own observations and talking to Goku. It was something else. Something everyone, including himself, was missing.

"Right now we have him stabilized. If anything changes in his condition I'll let you know immediately." The doctor said before returning to the Medical wing.

"This isn't good. Didn't Goku suffer a similar head injury when he was a kid? What if there are negative effects like when that happened."

Master Roshi, who'd been silently drinking a beer, cleared his throat. "That's true. Gohan…his grandfather." he clarified glancing at the young man who shared the name. "Gohan told me once that when Goku was a young boy, he'd been extremely violent and undisciplined. There'd been an accident one day where Goku fell into a ravine and suffered a serious head injury. After he recovered from that, he'd become more mellow, and a fairly docile child."

It was a familiar story that they had all heard before, with the exception of Vegeta. He'd known that Kakarrot suffered some head injury that had supposedly stolen his Saiyan memories, but he never knew the whole story. Now that he had, he was having difficulty swallowing it. Normally Saiyan children that were sent to purge a planet were trained not to show hostility until the time that they were actually supposed to perform the Purging several years later. They were, after all, the weakest Saiyans and they wouldn't be strong enough to combat the inhabitants or experienced enough to fend for themselves once the planet was purged.

"That story is ridiculous old man. I have never heard of memory loss changing a person's intrinsic nature. If a person is inclined toward violence, then they cannot simply forget their aggression and suddenly become amiable. Kakarrot is the way that he is simply because it is his nature to be so."

"But wasn't he trained to be aggressive when he arrived so that he could eradicate the life on this planet. Wasn't that the whole point, though thankfully he suffered that head injury which erased his memory of that mission?" The old master asked.

"First of all, Saiyans do not train their children to be violent we train them to be warriors. As a matter of fact Saiyan children are trained to remain passive in order to gain useful knowledge from the inhabitants of the victim planet."

"Secondly, Saiyans use a method of subconscious stasis programming with babies sent off-world to purge planets. During their time in stasis they receive subliminal 'training' equivalent to Saiyan primary and secondary education since they normally remained on the planet throughout childhood and adolescence. Kakarrot should be fluent in Saiyan as well as 4 other languages that were spoken on Vegetasai and the language of the Aisujins. He should also have an extensive knowledge of Saiyan history, culture, and the values that were revered in our culture."

"What values? Like death and destruction." Yamcha added.

"Fuck off halfwit." Vegeta growled.

Bulma glared at Yamcha for interrupting Vegeta's story. It was the most she ever heard him share about his culture in one sitting and she wanted to hear more. Especially since it pertained to her best friend. "Please go on Vegeta."

Vegeta decided to ignore Yamcha and continued. "After the child lands and is removed from suspended stasis the majority of the subconscious training remains dormant. Their Saiyan knowledge is 'time-released' so to speak to coincide with their mental ability to grasp the information. Each phase of learning is marked by a key hormonal change that occurs during normal Saiyan maturation. Somewhere around the 12th year is the time when the child is fully able to fend for itself and control their Oozaru transformation. That's when their original mission, that lay dormant before, becomes active."

"But we knew Goku when he was 12 and he had gone Oozaru before then." Yamcha said.

"You don't listen. I said _controlled _Oozaru transformation. Any Saiyan can transform if subjected to the right circumstances. But a transformation that occurs before they have matured enough is dangerous and unstable."

Bulma was feeling a little more than queasy talking so casually about the near destruction of her entire species, though she suspected she should be used to it by now. "So why send them to a planet where the moon cycle is monthly? Couldn't they easily destroy the planet in a blind Oozaru rage before they reached the age where they could control themselves? That would kind of defeat the purpose of purging it." She said.

"You seem to have a misconception about what triggers transformation. It's not just one thing, but a combination of factors. It's true that the light from the moon is necessary as is hormones secreted from glands within his tail, but those are hardly the key factors.

More so than that, he would also need the impulse to go Oozaru before the transformation can ever even begin. The desire to go Oozaru is more psychological than physiological, without it the transformation is impossible. That's why with deliberate meditation the urge to transform can be resisted. That's one of the first components of his training that would have been effective. The only thing that could have negated that training is the desire to transform at the onset of his mission or fear caused by a physical threat or…mental trauma that raised his defenses. Did he suffer from something like that when he was a child?"

Everyone shrugged realizing that they knew very little about Goku's past, before he met Bulma. They knew he lived in the mountains and trained with his grandfather, and they knew from his own naïve admission that he had accidentally killed Gohan during a transformation. But they had no idea what had triggered the transformation in the first place and beyond the old familiar story they had no clue. Everyone was so engaged in discussing Vegeta's twist on the once familiar story that no one noticed Master Roshi slip quietly from the room. Almost no one, with the exception of the always-observant prince. He had a feeling that there was more to the story than the old man was letting on.

-tbc-

A/N: I hope everyone's enjoying this so far. Let me know what you honestly think. I'd really appreciate it. Sorry for any errors. This wasn't beta'd. Also sorry for any weird line breaks or spacing, but fanfictin's interface just won't keep formatting.

Want to be notified when I update? Let me know by email or in your review. kaineko(at)hotmail(.)com


	10. When It Rains 09

**Warnings, disclaimers and such:** Hey I finally found some free time so I thought I'd update. Sorry for the delay. This chapter was extra long (about 30 pages in word) so I thought I'd cut it into two chapters so I don't bore anyone to death. I'll post the next chapter asap if anyone is still even interested in this story. If so let me know.

Sorry for any formatting quirks. I really tried to make it easy to read, but this site's formatting tool is hellish to work with.

**When it Rains  
By: Kaineko**

_Chapter 09_

It wasn't until much later that everyone cleared the house. Goku's condition, though still sketchy, had improved. At least he was out of the danger zone. They had hooked him up to every kind of monitor known to man with a constant attendabot on hand just in case. Vegeta had retreated to his own room way before everyone left, not really being in the mood for them…they were all pretty pathetic and useless anyway. Except for Master Roshi who obviously knew something that he wasn't letting on. Maybe for once that old pervert could be of some use. He'd have to corner him later and threaten the information out of him. Glancing at the clock he noted that it was well after midnight and apparently a useless concept to try and sleep. He yanked the covers back and slid out of bed, heading downstairs to the darkened deserted kitchen.

Vegeta grabbed a few snacks and sat into one of the kitchen chairs thinking about the day. He didn't know what was more disconcerting…all of his vital information in the hands of some unknown criminal, or finding Goku very-near death on his bedroom floor. Add to that the time he'd spent explaining purging protocols and Oozaru transformation to those baka ningens and that made for one hell of a horrible day. It was amazing that he hadn't blown anything up in his frustration, although that may not be such a bad idea. That whole _'Murphy's Law'_ crap the woman is always spewing seemed to be proving itself within his life lately.

After finishing off the rest of the lemon cookies Vegeta stood and dusted the crumbs from his shirt. He made his way down the back stairs to the lower level where his Gravity chamber lie, with the intent of some late night training. At the bottom of the two flights of stairs he stood in a long hallway that effectively split the lower level in half. The complete left half was his Gravity Chamber and the right half was the medical wing. Vegeta stood for long moments simply staring down the unoccupied hall. Sure, he'd told himself that he was going to train, but Goku was so close; merely behind one of the many doors on the right side of the hall, and Vegeta did have a responsibility to check on the man since he was his prince… It didn't take much to convince him of where he should go. After all he was simply looking for an excuse.

Vegeta stepped into the cold sterile room that they'd moved Goku to. It was just as uninviting as all hospital/med bay rooms he'd been in during the course of his life. The room was filled with the repetitive sound of beeping monitors, the incessant whir of the air conditioning and Goku's barely audible breathing. The room was cast in muted light, just enough for a normal person to see, but not enough to disturb someone that was sleeping. The prince's gaze immediately fell on the immobile form draped with a thin white blanket in the middle of the room. Upon closer inspection he realized that Goku was moving slightly, shaking actually, most likely from the near arctic conditions of the room. He pulled a thicker blanket from the warming rack almost absentmindedly and threw it over his fellow Saiyan as he approached, not really registering the significance of his action. The evidence of his concern.

Vegeta stood pensively assessing the other warrior's condition based on his appearance. His face had regained some color, his mouth slightly open making him appear to be merely sleeping but his ki was still so low and his breathing so shallow. He stared intently for a while, his eyes following every curve and line of Goku's face. Things had certainly changed over the past half-year. Goku's boyishly handsome face had slowly changed and begun to take on a wearier look...the kind that only comes from the harshness of life's experiences. Vegeta had watched him change and become more somber over the last few months. Even when they visited with one another, Vegeta had notice how reserved Goku had become. He didn't doubt that the other man enjoyed spending time with him, but things were definitely not as expected. Vegeta was usually the one doing all of the talking. He didn't have a definite reason for the change in the other warrior other than maybe stress.

Cool air swirled around Vegeta's bare hand as he removed his glove. He lifted his hand up and lightly ran a finger down Goku's face.

"What's going on with you Kakarrot?" He whispered to the unconscious man, not really expecting an answer and not receiving one. He leaned in closer just able to feel his own breath as it rebounded off Goku's face. He breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with a scent that was familiar and warm. Just a few millimeters closer and he could be kissing him. Vegeta lingered there for a few more moments, not daring to move closer, but not really wanting to move away. After long moments of indecision finally he simply straightened his posture and pulled up a chair next to the bed. He turned it around and sat in it backwards with his head resting against his arms folded across the back and merely watched the other man as he slept.

00------

Vegeta stepped out into the hall separating the med bay from the gravity room flexing his neck and trying to work out the kink in his muscles. He quickly made his way up the stairs glad no one saw him emerge though he could always claim he'd fallen asleep in the gravity room. Only a few days had passed since Vegeta found Goku. And he'd ended up visiting the other man every night, watching him for any change in his condition. Though there had been none, the doctor remained optimistic that he would recover soon.

Bulma was already sitting at the table eating a bagel and drinking coffee when he entered the room. It never failed to amaze him that the woman could live off such meager rations.

"Mornin' Vegeta." Bulma chirped as she watched the prince drink straight from the bottle of juice that he'd pulled from the fridge.

Vegeta examined the smug look on her face and the higher octave of her perky voice and immediately became suspicious. She was never so agreeable this early in the morning.

"What the hell are you so chipper for this morning?" He said, turning up the juice bottle again.

"Aww what's wrong Veggie? I thought you were used to sleeping in a sitting position. Oh well, I guess I could have a futon moved into Goku's room if it'll make you more comfortable."

Bulma leaned back in her chair and watched Vegeta nearly choke on his juice. She held up her hand in a gesture of silence before he could even respond.

"Don't even try to deny it. I know you've been sleeping in that room since he came here, and sneaking back to the gravity room early, before the doctors arrive."

Vegeta was shocked and could only counter lamely. "I don't sneak."

"Yeah right whatever. But I've seen it with my own eyes." She said pointing to her face as if her eyes might be located elsewhere.

Impossible. Vegeta would have sensed her ki before she ever even made it down the stairs. Even if he was asleep. As if reading his thoughts she said, "Security cameras. You forget that you demanded I beef up security around here after that break-in so now they're installed everywhere…even your precious gravity chamber."

Vegeta grumbled, annoyed at being caught. "Damn it onna. I told you to increase security, not play detective. I don't appreciate being spied on!"

"Why? Are you embarrassed because I know about you and Goku?"

"What the hell do you mean _'me and Kakarrot'_? There is no _'me and Kakarrot'_."

"Well you certainly have been spending enough time with him for there to be. Since you've known longer than the rest of us that Chichi hasn't been in the picture for a while, I can't imagine why you haven't made a move. What's holding you back?"

"Woman, we are merely sparring partners and nothing more."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Only because of your overzealous pride."

"What are you talking about? I have absolutely no interest in Kakarrot and to think otherwise is ridiculous." Even as he said it he cringed subconsciously at the lie.

Bulma sighed. She wasn't completely inept. She could tell that Vegeta had feelings for Goku merely by observing his actions and she suspected that Goku felt the same way. She'd often wondered why they spent so much time together, but it didn't take her long to figure it out. That was the main reason she'd given up her attempt to claim the handsome prince. Her best friend had already done so; even if neither one realized it.

"Vegeta, you cannot hide nearly as many things from me as you think. I've been around you for far too many years. And I know…even if you deny it to yourself. I know that you have feelings for…" She mimicked his voice…"'_That baka Kakarrot.'_ Maybe even love him."

Vegeta was tired of justifying himself. He tried to will himself to leave the kitchen. He didn't even want to stay and argue like he normally would. What she was saying hit far too close to home for him to be comfortable. However some unknown force; be it pride or Dende; was keeping him immobile.

"I do not care one bit about that idiot. And love…ha. Love is for weak fools."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "You can give that tired excuse a rest. You should know by now that love is the driving emotion that underlies true strength. Look at Goku…he became the strongest man in the universe because of love."

"It wasn't love that drove him to transform. It was rage."

She rolled her eyes. Kami the man was stubborn. "You're wrong Vegeta. It was his love for his friend that drove him to that rage…that point of transformation…and allowed him to achieve the ultimate."

Vegeta remained silent. He knew what she said was true, he'd always known, but he couldn't think of one way to retort her.

Bulma sighed and shook her head. Sometimes Vegeta just refused to see reason, but she could at least try. "Vegeta, in reality Goku is not your enemy. He never really has been." She got a wistful, almost reverent look and continued as if she were merely thinking out loud. "But I guess reality is as you perceive it to be."

She again turned her piercing blue gaze on him. It was almost like she could see straight into his soul.

"If you perceive him to be your enemy, then he will be. But if you perceive him to be your lover, he'll be that instead. However, in the interest of your own sanity, you can't perceive him to be both. You must make the decision of where you want him to stand in your life…" She stood pushing the chair from the table; "…And where you want to stand in his." She said before leaving the ouji alone to contemplate her words.

00------

The passage of days didn't hinder Vegeta's confrontation with his own emotions. Bulma's words seemed to ring within his mind every time he found it idle, which was far too frequent for his liking.

_'You cannot hide nearly as many things from me as you think…'_

How the hell had Bulma become so damned insightful? Sure she was a genius, but this is the same woman that turned thick at the mere sight of a "cute guy". Still, apparently when it came to the ouji she seemed to have an uncanny knack of deciphering his feelings. Perhaps it was their years of familiarity or the simple fact that their personalities were similar in some aspects. Whatever the reason, Vegeta passionately hated when anyone read him so well. Now the prince's thoughts were a jumbled mess that he couldn't seem to control.

_'I know…even if you deny it to yourself. I know that you have feelings for…that baka Kakarrot." _

Bulma…damn her for her insightfulness, but she did know.

Unlike most people who thought that he didn't know any emotion other than anger, Bulma knew. She knew that he experienced a wide range of emotions some of which he was very familiar with like anger, hatred, contempt; and some that he couldn't even name and didn't care to acknowledge. Those unknown emotions he'd learned long ago to control and keep them within lest they become weaknesses.

But what of love? Did he know love? He cared for Kakarrot, he'd admitted as much to himself, but love.

'_It was his love for his friend that drove him to that rage…'_

In Bulma's opinion, love had been the driving force behind Goku's strength. It had been the loss of someone he'd been attached to that sent him over the edge…or better yet, gave him the edge he needed for vengeance. Vegeta had felt that rage before. The kind of raw agonizing bleeding rage that called to the soul, demanded your attention, and commanded your action. Was that rage the kind that could only be provoked by emotion? Was that Love?

Love was such an utterly foreign concept to him. The word didn't have a counterpart in his language, or for that matter, in most of the other languages he spoke. He'd heard humans use the term so many different ways from _'I love my mate'_, to _'I love your sweater'_ that he wasn't even sure what it was supposed to mean.

_'…you should know by now that love is the driving emotion that underlies true strength.'_

But the love the Bulma spoke of…this love may not have had a corresponding word, but the emotion was universally understood. This love that humans regarded as true love was the deep emotional attachment that could at times be manifested physically. _Rage. Strength._ It could take over one's body and mind, willing them to do things that they'd never before have considered.

That's what made it so damned frightening. This enormous power to influence. And the weakness lay in the fact that its power had no owner…no one to completely rein it. It could be utilized by anyone for many different reasons. Love could heal far better than any medicine, but it could kill just as surely as he could. It only had to fall into the wrong hands. You could use your love of the people you're fighting for to boost your strength and defeat your enemies. But your enemy could use it to defeat you by taking away what you love. The only armor that could be forged against the pain of that loss is to not have anything to lose in the first place. And that's precisely what he thought he'd done all along.

But was he a coward for running from it? From his point of view he wasn't running. He was merely avoiding a potential pitfall. Any great warrior would protect their weakness.

_'But an even greater warrior would embrace it and turn it into strength.'_ His mind told him.

At least, that's what Goku always did. He took his love for his family and friends and turned it into a strength that he wielded for his own purposes. Vegeta wasn't sure if he could do that. It wasn't in his nature to draw on his emotions, rather to suppress them.

'_But it hasn't always been that way.' _A little voice whispered to him.

The stray thought caught Vegeta off guard making his stop to consider it. He'd always been taught to suppress his feelings...squash anything that was weakness. Frieza's cruelty had taught him as much.

'_But it hasn't always been that way.' _That little voice whispered louder, as if revealing something that should have been obvious. And now that he thought of it, it was right. If he really thought about it, Saiyans weren't like that at all.

Saiyans were ruled by their unwavering loyalty to one another, and their fealty to the royal family and Saiyan society as a whole. What drives fealty? Devotion. And what drives devotion? Self-dedication, self-sacrifice, respect. And behind that? …Love.

That little word hit him like a ton of bricks. He'd never thought of it in such a way, but it was true. The Saiyan populace drew on their natural instincts to guide them. Their interaction with one another, their loyalty to the king and prince had all been as natural to them as breathing, and it had all been guided by their love.

It was then that Vegeta realized something of fundamental importance that he'd never recognized before. His entire demeanor, attitude, mindset had been and even now was largely dictated by Frieza. It all made sense to him. It had been the tyrant's desire to keep his subjects inline that had facilitated Vegeta's repressed emotions. It wasn't just with the Saiyan race, but with every other race as well. The Cold Empire's philosophy was to strip away all pride, desire, and instinct that characterized or unified them with their race. All that would be left is an obedient, subservient shell. They exploited any traits that were useful to them and attempted to destroy the others. It wasn't very healthy in Frieza's camp to think-freely.

They tried on many occasions to break Vegeta's instincts, and the prince thought that he'd been defying them by simply building a wall between himself and everybody else. That way Frieza would never get the chance to exploit his emotions as weakness. But in the process of building that wall, he'd inadvertently blocked even himself out. Frieza had wanted him to stop feeling…to grow resentful and hate-filled. And until now, it had pretty much worked. Now he realized that his defiance had been merely superficial. To have truly been defiant, would have been to build up a wall between himself and Frieza's atrocities, while not allowing his very nature to be crushed by the bricks. Frieza had succeeded. Vegeta didn't feel...hadn't felt in a long time…until Goku came along. And even then he refused to recognize that he felt.

In that moment Vegeta's perception changed. He'd resented Goku before for what he'd always perceived as weakness, disgraceful. But Goku's love wasn't a weakness that made him a disgrace to the Saiyan race or an enemy to their prince. Instead it made him very much in line with his instincts and would have made him a true asset to Vegetasai. Now it was Vegeta's turn. He had to allow his instincts to guide him in his perception of Goku. What were they telling him about the other warrior? Did he love Goku?

He thought about if for a long while. How he felt drawn to the other warrior, compelled to spend time with him, his desire to keep the other man safe, his fear at the thought of losing Goku, the way his body reacted to his scent, his laugh, his touch, his beauty. The answer didn't come to him all at once, but when it did it was as if the realization slapped him in the face. He wanted Goku, not merely from superficial desire, but on a deep instinctual level. Goku evoked something within him that negated all Frieza had done. The tyrant's success had only been temporary. And now, suddenly and for the first time in his life, Vegeta felt free. What it took to bring him to this point was essential. Bulma had been right. He was in love with Goku.

00------

No mere man can wield the ebb and flow of time...Its strength endless, its will indomitable. And so, time passed. Hours turned to days and days turned to weeks. Two and a half to be exact. And during that time Vegeta had finally come to terms completely with his feelings for Goku. He'd also built up the courage to tell Goku his feeling though deep down he still harbored feelings of apprehension. That bit of trepidation was now the only little nagging concern that he felt. But he wouldn't allow it to grow and become a weakness. He would use it as fuel and transform it into strength. He needed to work off the jittery energy that kept increasing the longer that Goku stayed unconscious. So with that in mind he made his way down the hall to the GR.

A few hours had passed since Vegeta's workout started. It was actually helping soothe his mind as he became lost in the sheer rhythmic cadence of his movements. He executed several graceful back flips before finishing in a handstand. He could have held his position indefinitely but suddenly a jolt of energy, alien in its intensity, shot through him causing him to lose his balance and fall abruptly on his face.

Vegeta jumped up immediately, looking around frantically for the source of the sensation that had left him just as quickly as it had come. Again the same gloomy energy flooded his entire being. A wave of vertigo descended upon him and he had to grip the center control panel for a moment to steady himself. He smacked the controls to return the gravity to normal and quickly left the room, indignant curses falling from his lips as he went in search of the source.

Just as suddenly as it hit him, it was gone again.

"What the hell was that?" He thought aloud.

He stood in the hall separating the Gravity Room from the Medical Bay trying to fight off another wave of nausea to investigate the origin of this strange energy. It was as powerful as it was melancholic. But the strange thing was that it was…familiar. His eyes settled on the door directly across from the one that he'd just left through. Could it be coming from…?

"No…that can't be right." He whispered.

He shook his head, forcing himself to think straight. He'd never felt anything that depressing coming from the other warrior. Not even right after the harpy left him. But just as he thought it, another wave hit him reaffirming his suspicion. This time the source was unmistakable. The energy signal screamed Kakarrot.

'_Is he finally awake? Why is his energy so dark?'_

Vegeta crossed the hall and stood in front of the door to Goku's room and paused. With his sensitive hearing he could pick up muffled noises coming from within…like voices, but it didn't sound like Goku. Was somebody else in there? He tried to open the door but it was locked from the inside and wouldn't budge.

"Why the hell is this door locked? Who's in there?" He yelled banging on the door but no one answered.

If it had been just a normal door, he would have simply forced it open, breaking the lock. But the walls and doors on this entire level were made of the same metal alloy that the Gravity Room was made of. It wasn't impervious, but it was really close to it. He'd have to use a considerable amount of strength but not enough to cave in the entire wall since both walls that ran along the length of the hall were support walls, taking the bulk of Capsule Corp's upper 3 stories.

00------

A shadowy figure rounded the side of the yellow domed building, crouching low and making sure he hadn't been seen.

_'Finally.'_ He thought cursing the sheer size of the compound. The set of windows that he'd been looking for came into view. It was a good thing he'd been able to find the blueprints for the building within the corporate database. He highly doubted he would have been able to find this room so easily by trial and error.

The medical bay was actually partially under the ground level with just the top half above so the windows into the room sat at ground level on the outside, but near the ceiling on the interior. He slid his hand inside the black pouch he carried on his hip, and pulled out a set of precision tools. He was in luck the security system was only partially installed making it even easier than he'd anticipated. Within minutes he had gained access to the room that held the slumbering Saiyan using the nearly floor to ceiling shelves and instrument cabinets that lined the wall to expertly scale down to the floor.

The mystery man stopped briefly to adjust the identity-concealing mask before glancing around the room again. He immediately spotted the two security cameras within the room just where the security layout said they would be. He again used the cabinets to scale to their locations, pulling out a small can of black spray paint, and coating the lens.

Once back on the floor he quietly slipped toward the door to the room and bolted it from within. He certainly seemed to be thorough at what he was doing.

Now that he was certain that the room was cut off from the outside world he slid his hand under the mask, pealing it off to reveal smooth skin, midnight hair and piercing ice blue-green eyes.

If things went as planned, Ian would be in and out of CC before anyone even knew he'd been there. Smiling devilishly at Goku, he slid through the darkened room toward the man, careful not to create any unnecessary noise.

"Goku…" He whispered as he approached the other man. He came to a halt right next to the waist high bed that held the helpless warrior.

Leaning forward over the prone warrior he could feel Goku's body heat as his lips almost touched the other man's ear. "Goku…" he whispered again in a singsong voice, almost certain that the other man couldn't actually hear him. From the snippets of conversation that he'd picked up around CC and his 'innocent' conversations with Gohan he knew for a fact what condition the other man was in. But he just had to see for himself.

His goal hadn't really been to do anything, but spy on the other man, and see how vulnerable his condition really was. But the sheer proximity that he held to a man that evoked passionate emotions within him was too much for him to resist. Tentatively he reached out and touched Goku's brow, slowly running his index finger down his cheek, to finally rest on those lips that were slightly open as if in sleep. Ian's touch was soft, almost reverent as if Goku were precious glass that might break if handled too roughly.

"You always were beautiful." He said through a smile.

Goku hadn't made any significant movements since he'd been admitted to the infirmary, and Ian hadn't really expected him to. So it came as a bit of a shock when the younger man began to stir, his nose scrunching as his body started to shake lightly.

Realization of what was happening dawned on the dark-haired enigma and he smiled triumphantly at Goku's reaction to him. He leaned forward, his face hovered mere inches above Goku's and his warm breath ghosted across the unconscious warrior's skin raising goosebumps.

"Ah…so you do recognize me somewhere in the back of your mind. It's nice to see that you still respond so beautifully to me."

00------

_The stifling darkness that Goku had known for a seeming eternity suddenly bled away, morphing into an entirely different scene. He found himself running…escaping through the cold wet forest barefooted. All he knew was that he had to get away. Wet branches and thorns slapped him mercilessly scrapping against his exposed flesh causing more damage than should have been possible against his resilient Saiyan skin. Bloody gashes and bruises formed almost immediately, marring his smooth pale complexion. His feet were blistered and sore from the sharp rocks that pierced them as he ran. His tail was swaying limply behind him, jarring the broken bones within painfully with every step he took._

_It wasn't his superior physical strength or even his inhuman stamina that kept him going because they had played out long ago. Instead it was complete unadulterated fear and adrenaline that fueled his need for escape. It helped him ignore the pain as he ran blindly through the forest. He couldn't stop running; something was after him...intending to hurt him. It was behind him, calling his name over and over again, trying to will him to stop running by sheer persuasion. The crescent moon was partially covered by clouds and overhanging limbs, giving barely any light to see by, but he kept running._

_Suddenly he felt himself falling and shot his hands out in front, preparing to break his fall. He didn't know whether he'd tripped on a rock, twisted his ankle, or merely lost his footing in the oozing mire of the sodden earth but he did know that the ground was cold and cruel. He found himself face down in the mud, panic gripping his heart in a vice as he realized that for whatever reason he couldn't move anymore. He struggled futilely to free himself from whatever had him tangled. _

_Run, run...RUN! That's all that kept going through his mind. Get free and run. He struggled more violently; pain shooting through his body making his need to escape more frantic. But he couldn't move. It seemed that fate itself held him down to ensure that he met his demise and the more he struggled the more futile his efforts became. Indescribable terror gripped his heart...causing violent tremors to wrack his frame. He was going to die there tonight…face down on the cold, unforgiving forest floor. His resolve left him and he broke into strangled sobs as he realized that there was nothing he could do about it._

00------

Tears flowed freely down Goku's face, glinting beautifully in the very pale light filtering through the room. He seemed to flinch involuntarily as a finger slid through the liquid on his cheeks, wiping at the manifestation of his distress. Goku was consciously unaware when that finger was brought to lips and his tears licked off as if a superb delicacy.

"It seems you're starting to come around. I can tell it won't be long now before you join the world again." Ian said.

Suddenly the sound of someone trying to open the door filled the room startling Ian into attentiveness.

Ian glanced at the locked door; sure that whoever it was wouldn't delay in finding a way into the room. He hadn't planned on this happening…but he always had a contingency plan. He wasn't in the least bit nervous but he was definitely not about to hang around. Quickly, he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips against Goku's and holding them for what seemed an eternity, tasting the other man's sweetness.

"Why the hell is this door locked? Who's in there?"

Ian released the kiss when he heard Vegeta yelling and banging on the door.

"Seems we're out of time. Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you." He whispered before scaling the shelves with inhuman speed and grace and leaving through the window.

The screeching sound of bending metal followed his fleeing form as Vegeta forced the door open. He entered the room, gripping his head in an attempt to stop the ringing in his ears. Though Kakarrot was the only one in the room now, Vegeta knew that someone else had been there. He was certain that it had been human/male, by the scent, and it was slightly familiar though Vegeta couldn't place it. His attention was immediately called to the sound of the metal blinds that covered the damaged window, flapping softly in the wind. He levitated up to the window, which was fairly high from the floor and exited the room, vaguely wondering how anyone would be able to get back out so quickly unless they could fly. Once outside, he levitated high into the air, looking around the compound for the intruder, but he couldn't see anyone. He did a general ki sweep of the area for anything unusual and almost fell from the sky. The only ki feedback he received was that from Kakarrot. It was strong enough to completely negate any other ki signature around.

"Damn onna. I told her to increase the damned security around here." He growled under his breath as he returned to the medical bay room.

The room was now illuminated with the light from the hall. Goku was still out of it, but from the look of things he was caught in the middle of a particularly nasty nightmare. Tears were actually leaking from the sides of his tightly closed eyes and he'd rolled into a ball, managing to pull the IV free from his arm. A bit of blood leaked from the wound, but not enough to warrant any concern.

"Kakarrot…Kakarrot wake up." Vegeta called to the other man, shaking him forcefully. It seemed to the prince that if the man was conscious enough to dream, that it would stand to reason that he was conscious enough to be woken from that dream, but Goku didn't respond. Vegeta was pretty much at a loss. What in the hell had happened to cause this reaction? Whatever that person did to him was enough to bring him closer to consciousness than he'd been in quite a while, but from the outcome, Vegeta wasn't so sure that was a good thing. The break-in a few weeks ago suddenly returned to his mind. With everything else that had been going on lately, he'd pushed it out of his immediate thoughts. What if it was the same person that had stolen Bulma's research? They held information that was potentially dangerous to a Saiyan. And if it was the same person, they had definitely been too damned close to a vulnerable Goku for the prince's comfort.

Again Vegeta pushed the thoughts from his mind, focusing on resolving the problem at hand. "Calm down Kakarrot. It's me…Vegeta." He removed his gloves and wiped away some of the tears, disturbed that someone had gotten close enough to the man, while he was utterly vulnerable, to cause them.

00------

"_Kakarrot…Kakarrot wake up." Over the thunderous sound of his own racing heart and his desperate sobs he heard a voice calling his name. Wait, that wasn't his name; At least not his earth name. Only one person called him that._

"_Vegeta?" A small shard of hope could be heard in his voice._

"_Calm down Kakarrot. It's me…Vegeta."_

_Relief washed over him and he chanced to look up from his position on the ground. It was Vegeta standing over him, his hand extended to help him up. He'd never felt such elation in his life. He quickly took the offered hand and stood. An optimistic smile crossed his face. He realized that he wouldn't die there tonight. Vegeta had saved him._

00------

Vegeta pulled up the chair next to the bed, his chair, and sat down. He'd slept in it for a few nights but he didn't mind. Bulma was right. It wasn't so different from sleeping upright inside a pod. At least that dark energy, that he now realized was Goku's emotions raging in response to his nightmare, had ebbed. He was glad that that feeling was not invading his own mind any more. Goku seemed to have calmed considerably, though he still wouldn't wake up. He sighed following suit and slowly calmed his own nerves. He thought about finding Bulma, but he was unwilling to leave the other Saiyan alone. Instead he opted to just stay there for the remainder of the night. He was sure that Goku would be okay until that doctor showed up in the morning. It wasn't until some time later that he'd calmed enough himself, to succumb to a very light sleep.

00------

"So which one was it tonight?"

Ian stopped in the doorway and looked across at his friend. "What?"

"I said which one? Mother or son?"

Ian smiled ignoring the question for the moment and allowing his so-called genius friend to use his powers of deduction. He stepped into the room removing the small pouch of lock picks from around his waist and dropping them on the coffee table with a resounding clunk. It was then that Randall actually took the time to look up from his computer screen and take in Ian's appearance.

All black. Pants, shirt, shoes…Ian wore nothing but midnight. It became all too apparent to him then what his partner had been doing and he smiled. It looked rather odd on his face, like it wasn't something that he often did.

"I see you've been playing a different game tonight…"

Ian smiled back but didn't really affirm or deny it.

"…and without me this time. I'm a bit disappointed." Randall added.

"Ah, don't be. This was a bit of a _personal_ visit anyway. Besides, it proved to be pretty dangerous and required some stealth. I almost got caught as it was. If you'd been with me, I'd never have pulled it off."

Randall, whose moods were known to fluctuate at an instant, suddenly frowned. He was all for having a little fun…taking a few risks, but not if it endangered the plan. But Ian was being even more reckless than usual, and he wasn't at all happy about it.

"Don't let your impatience jeopardize this Ian. We are too fucking close to have you screw up."

Ian walked around and sat on the couch propping his feet on the table.

"You worry too much. Everything is going as planned. I'm just having a little fun."

Randall admitted that Ian's cunning was extraordinary, but his friend tended, at times, to get a little overconfident.

"A little fun? Is that what you call fucking Gohan? What if he finds out about Chichi? Then definitely the whole plan is shot to shit and you'll be lucky to survive. I shouldn't have to remind you of all people that those Sons are docile until you threaten them."

"There's no chance of that happening. They don't get along well. They definitely wouldn't be discussing who they're sleeping with and comparing notes. Besides, I'm careful. I only see Chi on the weekends and I never let Gohan catch her scent on me. I'm not stupid you know."

Randall was actually beginning to wonder. They'd had this conversation before. When Randall first found out about Gohan. Ian's tryst with the younger man and his so-called visit to Goku tonight were evidence of his growing carelessness. If he didn't stop playing around so much, things were definitely going to go south.

"Look, I didn't plan on Gohan, but I definitely wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to try Goku's son. Besides, that'll make it just that much worse when the Saiyan finds out. Don't worry so much man, everything is perfect."

Randall arched his eyebrow. "I'll just be glad when the opportunity to execute the final stage of the plan presents itself."

"Oh, I have a feeling that it won't be too much longer." Ian smiled.

00------

Bulma groaned as she woke up just before dawn. Much earlier than her normal hour. She'd been working late on a project in her private lab and had fallen asleep bent over her desk. She sat up, her back stiff from the unnatural position, and peeled a piece of paper from the side of her face that had gotten glued there by her slob.

"I am getting too old for these late nights." She told herself as she stood and stretched the soreness from her muscles. She left the building, walking through the glass-enclosed breezeway that connected it to her home.

"Good Morning Ms. Briefs."

Bulma turned around and found herself face to face with Dr. Moseri.

With her hand over her heart she said, "You startled me. What are you doing here at this time of the morning? Is something wrong with Goku?" She asked knowing that he was at present the only infirmary patient.

"I really don't know what's going on. I checked his vital signs through my home network connection and I noticed some very peculiar activity."

Dr. Moseri was a very diligent and very capable doctor that had been employed with the Briefs' family for years. He really enjoyed his job, it was usually pretty laid back, and he was allowed time to conduct fruitful research. The fact that he was so well paid didn't hurt anything either. So, it wasn't surprising to Bulma that he'd been remotely checking on his patient at such an odd hour and when he was supposed to be off work.

As they resumed walking toward the main building together, he gave her a piece of paper. She stared at it intently trying to make sense of it.

"This graph represents Mr. Son's brain activity. I've been tracking it since he was first admitted. For the most part, it is comparable to someone that's in a coma. There's very little activity that would suggest rousing consciousness."

"So then his condition hasn't improved."

"Well…you see this." He said pointing to a part of the graph that showed extreme peaks before suddenly dropping off again. "It was recorded late last night. It shows a drastic increase in brain activity comparable to if he'd been awake or in the REM stage of sleep. Then the EEG suddenly declined to about 35 percent delta activity."

"So what does that mean? Will he be waking soon?"

"I really don't know. I found from previous data that at 35 percentdelta activity the Saiyans enter into something similar to stage 3 in the human sleep cycle."

Bulma was a technical genius, but when it came to medical jargon she was at a complete loss.

Seeing the confused look on her face, Dr. Moseri continued to explain. "There are 5 sleep stages that the normal human experiences and the brain patterns are distinctly different during each. Stage 3 is the period where night terrors and sleepwalking sometimes occur. People in comas don't go through fluctuated stages in alpha and delta waves. Instead their brain activity remains constantly low, sometimes nearly undetectable."

"So then maybe he is waking." Bulma said.

"Perhaps. But I won't know for sure until I check him out myself."

"Well let's go."

Moments later when they reached the infirmary, they were wholly unprepared for what they saw. The smell of twisted metal still wafted through the hall lending to the appearance that something drastic had occurred.

"What the hell happened to the door?" Bulma screeched looking at the warped metal and twisted frame.

The prince awoke abruptly. He jumped from his chair, standing protectively between them and Goku, snarling and baring his teeth.

Bulma normally would have commented on how adorable his protectiveness was or how much he resembled a guard dog, but the situation seemed too serious for that. When she didn't get an immediate response, she asked again. "Vegeta, what happened here?"

Finally seeing who it was, Vegeta relaxed his protective position a bit, but not completely.

"Kami woman! I thought I told you to fix that damned piece of shit security system you have installed."

Bulma was taken aback by the obvious accusation before she became angry. "What are you talking about jerk? Not only did I have new monitors put in, I also had new electronic locks and sensors installed on all the doors."

"And the windows?" Vegeta asked accusingly.

Bulma looked toward the ceiling-level windows in the room, noticing the broken one. She paled when she remembered. "We have so many doors and windows on the premises that they ran out of alarm sensors before they finished. They said they'd have to order more. I told the guards to patrol the unfinished areas more diligently." She said suddenly feeling guilty, but not fully sure why.

"Fucking incompetent humans. You need to fire the damned security company. That useless guard is probably sitting on his fat lazy ass sleeping right now."

"You still haven't told us what happened."

Vegeta pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to reel in his anger. He relayed the entire story while Dr. Moseri checked Goku and he kept a keen watch.

"My Kami. This is terrible. Do you think it was the same person that broke in before?"

"You're the damned genius. What do you think?" He said sarcastically.

Just then Dr. Moseri broke into their conversation. "You say that he was having a nightmare when you came in?"

"It appeared so. I could feel the blackness of his emotions flooding my entire being."

"How interesting. I'm not 100 percent sure about Saiyan physiology, but I'm sure that this is a good sign. All of his neurological activity suggests that he's now in a deep exhaustion induced sleep."

"Wonderful. Shouldn't we try to wake him then?" Bulma asked.

"Not yet. If I recall correctly, insomnia was the cause of this situation. And like I said his body is in an exhaustion induced sleep state. It's like what happens when a person passes out from lack of sleep. It's nearly impossible to wake them until the body has rested fully."

"But he's been out for weeks. How can he still be exhausted?"

"Well, the comatose state is not a restorative state like sleep. It's more like a non-restorative limbo. You'll just have to wait until he wakes on his own and hopefully he'll be refreshed. Then maybe we can deal with the problem that caused his insomnia in the first place."

"I guess that makes sense." Bulma said a little disappointed that she couldn't wake him.

"I'll remain on the premises and monitor his condition from my office." Dr. Moseri said before leaving the room.

Vegeta sat down in his chair and crossed him arms. "Go onna. I can watch after him on my own."

Bulma nodded and smiled. She was happy that Vegeta seemed to have resolved his conflict over his feelings for her best friend. She knew that they would be good for one another.

00------

Sweet aromatic spice filled the air making Goku's mouth water. He breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with the scent while feeding his brain with the oxygen it craved. He lay there for a while, somewhere between sleep and awake. The limbo began to fade as all of his other senses began to join his olfactory sense. The feel of the soft cotton blanket against his skin, the stale taste of sleep in his mouth, the steady whir of some nearby machine echoing through the room, and finally the dim light and white ceiling that greeted him as he opened his eyes.

He blinked several times not really knowing where he was. He hated the disoriented feeling that you get when you first wake up. It made him feel vulnerable and unprotected. Pushing the though aside, he sat up slowly in the bed, every one of his muscles sore from disuse.

"It's good of you to join the living once again Kakarrot. How are you feeling?"

Goku turned to the prince who stood across the room regarding him coolly immediately recognizing the source of that fiery scent. He was a bit startled, not used to waking up with another person in the room.

"I'm okay, I think. What am I doing here? What happened?" He asked noting that he was in the Capsule Corp infirmary.

"I could ask you that same question…"

Confusion flashed across Goku's face.

"I found you passed out on your bedroom floor. Apparently you took some sleeping pills and blacked out, hitting your head in the process."

Goku very vaguely remembered a bottle of little peach-colored pills and trying to make it to his bed. His cheeks tinted pink as he blushed with embarrassment. _'Vegeta must think I'm a fool.' _

"I…remember." Goku whispered.

Vegeta studied his sleep-matted hair and sheepish expression, taking a mental picture of just how beautiful Goku truly was.

Goku felt nervous again under the scrutiny. Vegeta was looking at his soul again, and he felt horribly exposed.

"Care to tell me what that was all about?" Vegeta asked breaking the silence that had extended between them.

"I…uh…I was having trouble sleeping. I guess I tried to doctor on myself and overdid it. How long have I been out?"

"A little over two weeks. You hit your head right at the base and because you'd taken those pills, your ki was unfocused. Any human would have been dead."

Goku couldn't believe what he'd inadvertently done to himself. It's a good thing he isn't human. He thought as he swung his legs over the side and stood a bit shakily.

"I feel kinda weak. I need something to eat."

"You know where the kitchen is." Vegeta said.

"Maybe I should shower first." He said feeling less than fresh after being in a hospital bed for over two weeks.

Vegeta shrugged and watched as he walked unsteadily across the room. He didn't really seem to need any help. And Vegeta didn't want to offend him by offering.

Goku paused in the damaged doorway, wondering, but for some reason not really wanting to know. He passed through and made his way up to one of the spare bedrooms.

00------

"How're you feeling Goku?" Bulma asked as he walked into the kitchen.

He actually felt pretty good after a hot shower and a change of clothes. It was a good thing he had his own spare room stocked with his clothes at the Brief's house.

"Okay, I guess, but I'm hungry." Bulma smiled, relieved that her friend seemed okay.

"Somehow, I knew you'd say that. Well, help yourself Goku. Oh, and I called Gohan and Goten. They're pretty eager to see you…I'm sure that everyone is."

Goku hated that he'd made his friends worry about him. It certainly hadn't been his intention to do so.

"Hey, how about we have a little get together tonight so everyone can see you." Bulma added.

Goku paled at the thought. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his friends, but he was already feeling embarrassed enough without having to face all of them. Besides, they'd just start asking questions and demanding answers that he really didn't feel like giving.

"No…no Bulma. That's not necessary. I really don't want a party."

But there was no getting through to Bulma. "Oh, its no trouble at all. I can call the caterer and round everybody up. It'll be great fun." Her mental wheels were already ticking off the details without really having registered a word that he said.

"But Bulma…"

"No buts. I insist."

"Damn it woman are you deaf or just stupid? He said that he didn't want a party." Vegeta said as he walked into the room.

Bulma was taken aback. "I just thought…"

"No, that's the problem. As usual you didn't think."

"Well screw you, you jerk." She said and walked out of the kitchen mumbling obscenities under her breath.

"Thanks Vegeta." Goku sighed. They stared at each other for a few moments without saying anything more. _'Why's Vegeta just standing there?'_ Goku thought having trouble placing the look on prince's face. Finally he broke eye contact and turned to the fridge. Even though he was sifting through it's contents, he was really focused on the prince standing behind him.

After he gathered all the leftovers, Goku sat at the table and started eating without even bothering to warm them. For all outward appearances, his mind seemed to be completely on his food, but he wasn't really even registering what he was eating. He couldn't help but feel Vegeta's stare lingering, seemingly touching him and he wondered why the prince merely sat there stoically. It definitely wasn't something that he was used to. It made him uncomfortable in one sense, but strangely content in another.

Just sitting across the table from the younger Saiyan reminded the prince of all those evenings that they'd spent together sparring, eating, talking, merely enjoying each other's company. He had come to miss that time. How he wished that it could become permanent. He knew that for that to happen, he had to retain his courage and tell Goku how he felt. Bulma had said that it was up to him to decide what role Goku was going to play in his life. But would it really be that simple? Could merely changing his perception of the other warrior really change Goku's position in his life? Well Vegeta certainly hoped so, because his perception had changed. He didn't see Goku as a threat anymore, but as an enhancement to his life. The man could infuriate and arouse him all in one breath. Goku complemented Vegeta in ways that no one else ever had. They were similar enough in some aspects to enjoy each other's company, and different enough in other aspects to always present a challenge. And Vegeta always did love a challenge…

"You're not going to eat anything?" Goku asked breaking the silence.

"No." Simply stated. Silence once again.

Neither man spoke again while Goku finished eating. The prince was content to merely sit and watch. Bit upon bit of food disappeared within Goku's mouth. The prince noted the sensuous way his tongue darted out occasionally to catch some stray bit of food from his lips, and the constriction of his throat muscles as he swallowed. He was sure that the other warrior didn't realize how beautiful a picture he presented. When Goku stood to take his dishes to the sink, Vegeta was mesmerized by the way his body moved with natural grace even after such an extended period of disuse.

Goku stood at the sink, rinsing his dishes. Suddenly he felt a presence behind him and turned around only to find himself face to face with his prince.

"Vegeta?"

"Kakarrot."

A long silence stretched between the two before Vegeta moved forward, shortening the gap between them.

"Uh? Vegeta?"

The prince looked up into the younger man's face. _'Kami, he's beautiful.'_ He thought noting the way his head tilted slightly to the side when he was confused.

Goku was feeling more than nervous, a light sweat breaking out on his forehead, and his skin heating rapidly. Goku calmed himself quickly when he realized that the prince could sense his anxiety.

Vegeta had caught the whiff of nervousness and dismissed it after it disappeared nearly immediately.

"Kakarrot, we need to talk."

"Um okay. About what?" Goku asked trying to keep the apprehension from his voice.

"I've been thinking about a lot lately. And I've realized that…"

Animated laughter filtered through to their ears, interrupting the prince before he could finish.

"Hey dad!" Goten exclaimed more like a little boy that the man that he actually was. Vegeta stepped back from within Goku's personal space as the two younger Sons came in followed by Bulma. If they thought that the Saiyans' closeness was strange, they didn't let on. Probably too excited to actually see their father up and about that they didn't notice. Vegeta stepped toward the door, not being noticed by the others in the room. He caught the other man's eye as he stood in the doorway. "Later." He mouthed silently before leaving the room.

tbc-------

A/N: So Vegeta did some soul-searching and finally came to terms with his feelings. And now we discover that Ian really is up to something, but what? Imagine having the nerve to break into Capsule Corp of all places. And Vegeta was just about to tell Goku how he felt before being interrupted. Talk about poor timing.

Anyway, I just need to reread the next half of the chapter looking for mistakes, and I'll post it soon. Don't forget to let me know what you guys think.

kaineko(at)hotmail. com


	11. When It Rains 10

**Warnings, disclaimers and such:** Still own nothing. A tiny bit of lime in this chapter, but nothing too graphic. Thanks for all of the reviews. They mean so very much to me.

**When it Rains  
By: Kaineko  
**

_Chapter 10_

Bulma may not have actually organized a party, but that didn't stop those fools from congregating when they got word. An assorted lot of would-be warriors hadn't stopped filing in all day. Bulma's sneaky ass had probably invited them over in spite of Goku's protests. At least that was Vegeta's opinion anyway. Honestly, it had taken the prince an enormous amount of control just to stomach them for such a long time. He normally would have just left them to their own devices, but he wanted to talk to Goku before the other man had the opportunity to leave for his mountain home. He remained civil in the interest of not stressing Goku any more than he already was. Also he was still feeling protective of the other Saiyan and always stayed in the background, watching every thing that went on. Eventually they all left except that youngest brat who was hanging out with the prince's own son and Vegeta and Goku found themselves almost alone on the deck. Only Bulma remained.

"Well, I guess I'll go ahead and leave you two alone." She said winking at the prince. He suppressed an indignant growl as she went back inside sliding the glass doors closed behind her.

Goku sat balancing himself on one of the wooden deck rails. He was still trying to process all that he'd learned. Everything that was going on while he was unconscious. He didn't let on, but he had a great feeling of foreboding about the break-in at Capsule Corp. At least Dende had said that it wasn't a new threat to the earth, though that did very little to curb his apprehension. Then after discovering about the break-in the night before, his anxiety doubled. There may not have been a threat to the earth as a whole, but he was inclined to believe that something was about to happen. He didn't believe that they were merely coincidences. Bulma was unable on both occasions to glean any information from the security monitors that had been so skillfully rendered useless. And since he didn't have any real clues to what was going on all he could do was sit around and wait on the ax to fall.

After Bulma left the two of them, Goku turned his eyes on Vegeta. All of his concerns suddenly seemed insignificant now that his mind was focused on the prince. Something was different about him. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on…but his behavior was…well…different. Like for instance this morning in the kitchen, he almost thought that the prince was going to kiss him.

He shook his head denying the thought. But he'd been so damned close to him, invading his personal space. That wonderful scent that he'd awoken to had filled his nostrils again, taking away clarity and reason. It was enticing and frightening at the same time. His face blanched at the thought of sharing any kind of intimacy with the Saiyan prince. The very idea made his hair stand on end. It wasn't that he didn't find the prince attractive. Hell, anyone with two functioning eyes could see how sexy the man was. It was something else. Something that Goku just couldn't put his finger on. But the prince was dangerous, unpredictable and that only led to one thing. Vulnerability.

Vegeta watched the emotions play across the other warrior's face. He could sense the confusion as the other man tried to make sense of what was going on, while failing miserably. Vegeta stood and walked across the short distance between them.

"Kakarrot…"

Goku regained focus, coming out of his reverie. "You had something to say this morning?" Goku said picking up where they left off when they were last alone.

"Yes, I do. But first tell me how are you feeling? Are you up for flying?"

Goku arched his eyebrow at the prince's expression of concern before dismissing it. Weeks of idleness did atrophy the muscles and weaken the body, but it would take more than that to significantly weaken Goku. "It shouldn't be a problem." He answered.

"Good, then follow me."

Without another preliminary, the prince flew off. Goku followed Vegeta into the warm night sky. Vegeta flew slowly. The slow pace just as much for Goku's sake as it was to give the prince a few more moments to reflect before everything changed between them. And he was sure that everything was about to change. He just hoped that his hunch had been correct.

"Where are we going?" Goku asked, but Vegeta remained silent. Whether he hadn't heard, or chose not to answer, Goku didn't know, but he decided not to ask again.

When they finally landed they'd flown quite a distance away into an isolated mountainous area on the coast of the mainland. At such a vantage point they could see everything in a breathtaking panorama of magnificence. Water stretched as far as the eye could see, the pale shimmering moon reflecting off its surface and casting everything in the faintest blue hue. At this elevation the temperature was at least 10 degrees cooler than in the city though neither man seemed to be affected.

"Do you know this place Kakarrot?" Vegeta asked as he took in the other man's look of astonishment.

"Yeah. I know it very well. The question is how do you know it?"

Vegeta smirked. It's what he'd expected, hoped for really. That Goku wouldn't have forgotten this place. "Tell me first how you are familiar with it." The prince said.

"Well…" Goku began. "…when I was younger, often I would feel…" he hesitated not really sure if he wanted to share, but after a moments thought continued anyway, "…I would feel lost. Like I just didn't fit in. It was so hard to be around all of my friends…Bulma, Krillen, Yamcha… and know that I was different. That something about me just screamed that I was odd. Sometimes, I just needed to get away for a while and often I'd end up here and just sit for hours contemplating my place in life."

Vegeta knew the feeling of not belonging. He often felt it now among so many humans. But at least he knew why he didn't fit in. He couldn't imagine how Goku must have felt knowing that something was different, but not having the foggiest notion of what or why.

Goku continued. "I always believed that I was on top of the world when I was here, and I always left feeling a little better. But I haven't been here in years. Not since…" He paused to think about it. "Not since before you came to this planet the first time. But how do you know of it. I've never shared this with another person."

Goku frowned watching the prince's smug expression as he again felt like he'd exposed himself. Just as he was truly starting to feel self-conscious the prince spoke.

"When Saiyan babies are sent to purge a planet, you know that because they leave before they are able to understand their mission, everything is transmitted subliminally. It's important to have, within that message, certain key details. A type of protocol to ensure success."

Goku nodded in understanding. Vegeta had spent many evenings explaining their culture to him.

"Well, one of those key details is a set of standard coordinates and plans for recovery after the mission is complete. Of course we wouldn't have just left them on a desolate planet indefinitely. If Vegetasai hadn't been destroyed, you would have been retrieved shortly after you were scheduled to have cleared the planet."

"I guess it's a good thing that I lost my programming, or I would have been all alone for many years." Goku said, still not sure where the conversation was leading.

"Perhaps. I must explain first that each planet has a coordinate system that is measured by latitude and longitude. Each intersection of these points corresponds to a specific location on that planet. Because the scale of the longitude and latitude of a planet is proportional to its size, every round planet, no matter its size would have had this same set of coordinates. It is the perfect way to designate a common point that is valid no matter which planet it refers to."

Vegeta paused for a moment and allowed the information to sink in. It wasn't that he didn't think that Goku could understand; it was just that he knew the younger man hadn't been formally educated and might not understand as quickly as someone already familiar with geography. But to his pleasure Goku nodded signifying that he understood and for the prince to continue.

"Well in your programming was a set of coordinates that correspond to the latitude and longitude of the place that you were to wait for retrieval. It's standard protocol to wait on the nearest inhabitable landmass to 30 degrees N., 130 degrees E. On this planet this volcanic mountain just happens to be situated 5 miles from those coordinates. It's the closest inhabitable landmass."

Goku remained silent, soaking in the information that he was just given. "So you're saying that I had some intuitive memory of that protocol and that's why I came here?" He asked.

"It would seem so. I think that when you came here, subconsciously you were longing for our home world. And you stopped after I arrived and you realized that there wasn't going to be any rescue vessel to retrieve you."

Vegeta had merely assumed the latter part and he was probably correct in his assumptions.

Goku would have never guessed that in a million years. But it made perfect sense to him. All those years, something deep within his subconscious was still alive, and drove him to seek his place. But his place hadn't been in this world, but on Vegetasai. He'd never realized that what he longed for was reconnection. But something didn't make sense.

"Vegeta, I don't remember anything of my original mission. So why would I remember something so basic as this when my main objective escaped me? And how did you know I'd remember this place?"

"Well, I didn't know that you'd remember this place. I only hoped that you would or at the very least coming here would trigger some memory. And as far as why you remember it. Well… I really can't say for sure. It's a bit odd, it's almost like your memory wasn't completely erased, but merely repressed."

"But why did you bring me here in the first place? You must have had some reason for it."

Vegeta sighed. This was the beginning of things being different. "Well in a way, this place is relevant to what I wanted to discuss with you."

Goku leaned against a tree for support, his arms crossed waiting for the prince to explain.

"It's really ironic Kakarrot."

"Huh?"

"Irony. In our culture it was an insult to be sent off-planet to purge as a child. It signified that you were pitifully weak and utterly useless as a potential warrior in adulthood."

Vegeta caught the hurt look that flashed across Goku's visage. He wasn't trying to hurt him, but he needed to make him understand his reasoning for what was going on.

"In other words you were expendable. The strength of the inhabitants one was sent to purge was also a direct reflection of the expectations of his potential. The weaker you were, the weaker the inhabitants of the planet you were sent to purge. Only 3rd class children were dispatched in this fashion, and like you most never returned. No one cared that many died in the process since it was, though privately, viewed as a means of weeding out the weak."

Goku's face paled a bit. He knew that he'd been on the bottom of the hierarchy as a child, but he didn't realize that his own people had considered him useless. It definitely wasn't the most uplifting news he'd ever received. "So why do you tell me all of this?"

"Isn't it obvious? It goes back to irony. Though I wasn't born 3rd class, I too was dispatched as a child to purge planets. It was an utter insult, a slap in the face for a royal elite child to be treated the same way as a common 3rd class child. Like you I was "weeded out" of the Saiyan society because like you I never returned. How ironic that we both ended up being the only remainders of a race that we were culled from. At birth we were caste completely different lots, yet we ultimately shared the same fate. I realize now that it's hardly coincidence that we both ended up on one of the weakest planets in the whole damned galaxy, supposedly a reflection of our own weakness."

Vegeta paused and watched the other man absorb his words before he continued. "Yet it only appears weak at face value. Damn if it isn't actually one of the most resilient planets I've ever encountered. It reminds me of you. You are also not what you seem at face value. You are, in the eyes of these humans, a nice guy. But there is more underneath that façade. Underneath that is a truly powerful Saiyan warrior; better than any of those that condemned you to a shameful lot. And underneath even that is a mysterious man, and enigma really."

"Vegeta, I…" Goku started, but Vegeta held up a hand to silence him. He'd been waiting too long to get this off his chest and he didn't want to be interrupted.

"Kakarrot, I too am not what I appear at face value. I looked for myself, and underneath my layers of arrogance and pride I found something that I never really believed even remotely possible. I found the ability to actually care for someone other than myself. I don't know how, or why, but I do know that it's there. And I've discovered that of all the people I could care for on this mudball…that I care for you. The parallel of our lives has certainly been a lot of things…ironic, dramatic, tense, unpredictable, illogical... But the one thing that I don't believe that it is, is coincidence. In the grand design and scheme of the universe, our lives were meant to run parallel, and then intersect. It has just taken me a lot of time to realize it, and even more time to accept it."

Goku was left utterly speechless. Was Vegeta saying what he thought he was saying? The younger man's face drained completely of color, and suddenly his tongue was thick in his mouth. Vegeta took his silence as encouragement to continue.

"What I am saying Kakarrot is that…I care for you as more than just a convenient punching bag or an icon of our dying race."

Vegeta couldn't believe how extremely difficult this all was and he couldn't read Goku's reaction past the stunned expression, which he'd expected. But he'd come this far, and he wasn't about to be a coward and back out now. He'd never be able to look the woman in the face again if he did.

"I care for you as one would for a mate. I want to be with you, Kakarrot. I'm offering you more than I've ever offered anyone else. I…I'm offering you myself." There. He'd said it. It had taken more pride than he'd ever thought he'd be willing to expend.

Vegeta stepped forward and as if attempting to seal the truth behind his words he fisted his hands into Goku's soft midnight hair and drew the younger man into a slow sensual kiss.

Somewhere between Vegeta's words and his actions, Goku's mind stopped functioning properly. He leaned down into the kiss only registering how deliciously soft and sweet the other man's lips were against his own. The only sounds that could be heard throughout the area were Goku's low sweet moaning at the electric tingle caused by Vegeta's touch. His carnal desires and not his brain, which was still M.I.A., now dictated the younger man's actions. Minutes turned into an eternity as his mouth was taken by the prince's own sweet lips.

Vegeta had dreamed of this day for a very long time and now he could barely control his desire for his formal rival. He tasted sweet, like that single drop of honeysuckle that was only enough to tease but never enough to truly satisfy. It was apparent from Goku's scent that he wanted Vegeta in return. The older Saiyan was determined now that he'd conquer Kakarrot this day, just as he'd always known. But his motives had shifted and instead of wanting to cause the other man immeasurable pain, he now wanted to cause him unimaginable pleasure. The prince's free arm wrapped around Goku's waist, and drew the other man's body against his as his fingers traced light teasing circles around Goku's missing tail.

Goku froze as his body was thrust forward into Vegeta's. He could feel the prince's rather obvious erection firmly pressed against his thigh and those deceptively gentle caresses around his former tail by hands that were inconceivably powerful. His mind picked just that time to return from vacation as he realized his situation.

'_I care for you as a mate. I want to be with you Kakarrot.'_

Vegeta's words rang through his mind, bouncing all around in an eternal reverb that he couldn't seem to stop. _'Vegeta wants to be with me…me as a mate. How in the hell is that possible?'_

This just couldn't be happening. He tried to make sense of it by dissecting the situation. Forget the fact that Vegeta is a prince and he is a 3rd class since a hierarchal system is wholly irrelevant between the last two remaining members of their race. Forget the fact that Vegeta is also a man, since he'd never really had that prejudice anyway. But he couldn't forget the fact that this was Vegeta, of all people declaring feelings for him. That was cause enough for concern. Sure Goku had been the one to always preach the value of reform and second chances, but Vegeta just wasn't exactly the loving, caring type. For the first time since he'd met Vegeta, he felt truly intimidated and fearful of the slighter man. Thoughts of Vegeta's volatile nature flashed through his mind and he quickly decided that he didn't want any parts of that. He had no intention of allowing himself to be that _vulnerable_ with someone that could hurt him so easily. He couldn't fully explain why, but indescribable fear shot through him and nearly made him ill.

Goku's low moans turned to whimpers as he tried to pry himself away from Vegeta iron grip. The prince was immediately aware when Kakarrot's scent changed from arousal to fear and he registered the other man's attempt to break free.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he released the kiss, but not the hold.

Goku finally loosened Vegeta's grip from around his waist and managed to put a little distance between them "I…I."

Vegeta looked at him in confusion.

"I really don't know what to say…I'm speechless." Goku fumbled lamely.

Vegeta stepped forward, a little closer to Goku and was surprised when the other man stepped back. They stared at each other for a long moment, the silence so complete it was almost deafening. Vegeta stepped forward again attempting to lessen the distance between them, and Goku stepped back trying to preserve it.

"Well? What's wrong Kakarrot?" Vegeta asked. Why had the man gone from obviously aroused to fearful in a matter of minutes?

Goku turned away in an attempt to hide the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes. He just couldn't face this right now. He hated fear and vulnerability.

"I won't be vulnerable," he mumbled to himself.

"Kakarrot?"

Goku felt that it would be good if he put some real distance between the two of them. He simply had to get away. He couldn't think straight while standing so close to the man.

"Vegeta…I'm sorry, but…I just…I have to go." And with that he IT'd himself to his home.

Vegeta stood on that volcano staring at the space the other man had just occupied. What had he done wrong? Kakarrot had wanted him, he could tell by the other man's aroused scent. But in a matter of minutes he went from arousal to fear. Had he unintentionally hurt him? Vegeta went over the scene in his mind trying to find the answer, but it didn't present itself. When he finally gave up on finding the answer he flew back to Capsule Corp, utterly devastated by the rejection that he hadn't anticipated.

------00------

The Saiyan prince moped around for days after the incident. He hadn't heard anything from the other warrior, thinking that maybe Goku was just caught off guard and didn't know how to react, but would reconsider and contact him. But so far, nothing. His family wasn't exactly expecting him to be cheerful, but they hadn't seen him in such a foul mood in ages. Trunks steered clearly away from him whenever possible, as did Bulma. But on this particular evening, the prince was the one seeking her out instead of the other way around.

Bulma didn't need Saiyan senses to feel the presence that entered the room where she was hunched over a lighted table looking at blueprints of JAI's new design. She'd been swamped with work coming up on the new product premier, but not so busy that she hadn't noticed Vegeta's foul mood. So it came as a bit of a surprise when the man who'd been even more anti-social and caustic to be around than normal appeared in her lab. Bulma didn't acknowledge him at first, waiting to see if he'd announce his presence or simply stand there.

Vegeta knew that Bulma was aware of his presence, but for whatever reason she hadn't acknowledged him yet. That really pissed him off, but he was really trying to keep his temper in check because he had a specific reason for being here and he'd learned long ago that it was nearly pointless to argue with or demand things from Bulma. That tactic absolutely never worked. Finally after several long moments she finally looked up from her work.

"Do you need something Vegeta?"

"I need the GR fixed." He'd destroyed the main control panel 3 nights ago but hadn't even bothered to tell Bulma or demand that she fix it.

Bulma looked at the prince closely and sighed. "What's wrong with you Vegeta? You've been acting awfully sour lately." She asked.

Vegeta ignored her question. "When can you have the machine fixed?"

Bulma could play that game too. "Answer my question first and then we'll discuss the GR."

Vegeta bristled but knew that Bulma didn't back down easily or often. Better to play ignorant. "I don't know what you're talking about. There isn't anything wrong with me."

"Okay, now that we've aired the bullshit, let's try the truth. What's wrong with you?"

"I told you there isn't anything wrong with me. Now are you going to fix my machine or not?"

"You've been walking around in a pissy mood for a couple of days now. You're giving everyone an even colder shoulder than before. And I know you destroyed the gravity room three nights ago, but for whatever reason you're just now getting around to demanding that I fix it. If I didn't know before I definitely know now that something's wrong with you. Now we can sit here and play these word games until you get tired, or you can tell me now and save yourself the trouble. Either way doesn't make me a bit of difference."

'_Bitch.'_ Vegeta thought hating when someone gave him an ultimatum. He pushed his weight from the wall, preferring to leave than give in to her demands.

"Screw it. I'll train in the yard."

"Better yet, why don't you go train with Goku? Fighting him always seems to put you in a better mood."

Vegeta paused at the mention of the other man's name, and as if a switch was flipped Bulma suddenly realized that maybe the prince's mood had something to do with her friend. It made sense. He only ever got really unbearable when he was annoyed by, upset with, or pining over Goku.

Bulma never had been so easily put off. "You've been acting strange for half the week. Ever since that night Goku…" She trailed off as he cast a glare at her that would melt steel.

"Did you talk to him? Did something happen between you two?" She asked following after him into the hallway outside of her lab.

"Yes woman. I talked to him." Vegeta said sarcastically.

"And?"

Vegeta was torn between wanting to forget that the other Saiyan even existed, and trying to figure out why he rejected him. He'd been warring with his feelings over Goku's reaction every waking minute since that night. While he'd been reconciling his own feelings, he'd never once gone over the possibility that Goku wouldn't want him. But that's the strange thing. He'd known that Goku had wanted him in return. If he hadn't smelled the other man's arousal so strongly, then he would not be so sure. But the fact was that he had smelled it…that obvious shift in pheromones that signaled his willingness. It was like a beacon, signaling for him to continue. Then in the blink of an eye, it had turned to fear, trying desperately to push him away. What the hell was that all about? He hated to play these games with Bulma because he never seemed to win, but maybe she could shed some light on the situation.

"And… I don't know. I think that maybe he's afraid of me."

Bulma frowned. She'd never known Goku to be afraid of much. "What makes you think that?"

Vegeta was not about to tell her that Goku had pushed him away while he was kissing him and that his scent had changed from aroused to afraid in a matter of seconds. He didn't want to seem that pathetic.

"Trust me, I just know."

Goku, afraid? That just didn't make sense. But just as she thought of it every single one of Vegeta's threats against Goku over the past years flashed through Bulma's mind. She knew that her friend was a somewhat literal person, and that somewhere in his subconscious he'd probably taken those words of hatred to heart. Maybe Goku didn't even know that he'd harbored feelings of apprehension toward the prince. He'd never actually shown it.

"Gee Geta. I can't imagine why he'd feel intimidated by you." She said sarcastically.

Vegeta growled. Maybe talking to her wasn't such a good idea. "Damnit onna. You're the one that suggested all of this crap."

Bulma sighed. She hadn't meant to piss Vegeta off with her comment. She just couldn't resist. "I know Vegeta. But I never said that it was going to be easy. Can you honestly think it's strange for him to be even a little bit cautious? Especially since you two haven't always had the friendliest relationship."

She watched him as he crossed his arms defensively. Apparently she'd struck a chord with him.

"Vegeta, you're just going to have to try harder. Woo him a bit. Gain his trust."

"Damnit onna. I will not beg him. I have my pride."

Bulma's eyes blazed with anger. He was just being stubborn.

"Feh, your useless pride! Your shield that you hide behind when you're too afraid to face reality. You say that showing a little humility in order to win over the one that you love is pathetic. I say that running away from the challenge when it gets a little difficult is even more so."

Vegeta fixed her with his hard stare. "Kami woman! I am not running away from anything. I am the prince of all Saiyans. I.do. He said placing great emphasis on those last four words.

Bulma however was not impressed by his declaration. "Whatever your highness. All I'm going to say is that your zealous pride will ultimately be your downfall." She said turning and heading back toward her lab. "And you better pray to Kami for a big enough throat when it comes time to swallow it."

------00------

His days zipped by in a jumbled blur and suddenly it was Friday night and as usual there wasn't much on TV. Still Goku sat perched on his couch flipping aimlessly through channels. Every now and then something would catch his attention, but never long enough for him to have watched an entire show. His mind really wasn't on that anyway. He'd been thinking non-stop of Vegeta since that night.

What had become of his life in such a short time span? He honestly couldn't say but he knew that everything was crumbling around him at an alarming rate. His wife's betrayal, bout with insomnia, brush with death, and to confuse things even more Vegeta's confession of feelings.

But Goku wasn't usually given to confusion. He normally reacted to his life instinctually, rarely giving things much thought. And when he did make decisions they were so swift that they bordered on instinct. He was no good at handling these situations; even his reactions to Vegeta were confusing.

At first he'd been more aroused than he'd ever been before in his life. Almost painfully so. But after that what had happened? He couldn't really explain the feeling that had come over him suddenly. It felt like his air was being cut off and he was quickly suffocating…nearing death. Fear, unimaginable and very real had stolen over him and he knew that he had to get away. He'd never been so afraid of something in his life. As unsettling as that was, it was still undeniable.

It's not like what Vegeta was offering was truly horrible. It was just that for the first time since Namek, trust was a real issue. He'd always known that Vegeta wore many different masks. Proud, stubborn, arrogant… And Goku had always wondered what was truly hiding under those masks.

'_I care for you as one would for a mate. I want to be with you, Kakarrot. I'm offering you more than I've ever offered anyone else. I…I'm offering you myself.'_

Was that really the sound of Vegeta's mask of pride shattering as he confessed feelings for his long-time rival? Could Vegeta really be trusted? Were his feelings just filled with lust, or were they true? Was he seeing yet another of Vegeta's masks or was it the real Vegeta this time? He couldn't be so sure what he'd seen, but he did know that he'd never forget the feeling of being pressed against the other Saiyan's body. The scent of Vegeta's arousal was almost tangible once again just from thinking about the incident. He could almost smell the other Saiyan's pungent scent in his nostrils…feel his warm breath ghost across his mouth before sealing his lips in a passionate kiss…

"Hey dad, how's it going?"

Gohan's voice startled Goku from his thoughts.

"I'm in the living room." Goku called back, trying to will away the blush from the realization of where those thoughts had been going. Only after he was sure that he'd recover did he stand to go greet his son.

'_Something sure smells good.'_ Gohan thought as he peeked into the oven to see what was cooking.

"It's lasagna." Goku said as he walked into the kitchen.

"It sure smells good." The younger man said, voicing what he'd just been thinking.

Goku smiled at the compliment.

"So how have you been feeling, Dad?" Gohan asked. That was the whole reason for his trip in the first place. To check on his father. Secretly he'd been worried that Goku was suffering depression and maybe his overdose had been intentional, at least on a subconscious level. Of course he'd never actually suggest that aloud, but the thought had crossed his mind. Maybe his dad needed professional help. But surely any psychiatrist would lock him up if he accidentally let slip that he was a powerful alien, formerly married to a demanding human that hasn't stopped ragging him since he returned from the dead for the 2nd time. No, he didn't think that would go over too well.

"Okay I guess." Goku answered, though something in his voice sounded off to the demi-saiyan.

"You sure dad?"

Goku nodded.

"And sleep…?" Gohan asked.

"…is still scarce, but I'm managing. And don't worry, no pills this time."

"Good." Gohan said.

Silence stretched for a moment.

"Hey you wanna stay for dinner with me? I made plenty for both of us." Goku asked. He'd been so lonely lately, and would really appreciate some company for a while. Vegeta would have normally eaten dinner with him at least twice this week, but that of course hadn't happened. So he'd been completely alone since that night.

"Well, I really wasn't going to stay long dad." Gohan said and immediately regretted it when he saw his father's hopeful expression fall.

"Don't you have to work tonight anyway?" He asked Goku.

Goku just shook his head. "No, I lost my job."

"Why?"

"Well, after I didn't show up for a few days and they couldn't contact me, they assumed that I'd quit and hired someone else."

"Yeah, but didn't you explain what had happened."

Goku nodded. "Mr. Sawa said that he'll keep me in mind if anything else becomes available. But they didn't have anything else open."

"Oh." Gohan hadn't planned on staying long, assuming that his father would be leaving for work soon. He had made other plans for the night that he really didn't want to break.

"If I'd known dad, I'd have planned on staying a little longer. But I had some other plans for tonight and I was just stopping through before I went home to get ready."

"Oh. What you got going on tonight?" Goku asked.

"Nothing much." Gohan said, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"It seems like something to me." Goku kidded.

"I'm just going out with a friend." Gohan answered, but a blush spread across the bridge of his nose giving away that it was more that just having dinner with a friend. Gohan was going out on a date. He simply left out the part about what they'd probably be doing after the date.

"A date huh?"

Gohan nodded blushing even more deeply.

Goku simply assumed that Piccolo was the only person that could make Gohan blush so. Everyone knew of their mutual attraction, and Gohan's numerous attempts to court Piccolo and the Namek's constant protests.

"That's great, how'd you ever get Piccolo to agree after that theatre incident?" Goku asked, only realizing his mistake when his son's smile faltered a bit. He'd never even entertained the thought that his son was dating someone other than the Namek.

"I wish it were Piccolo." He mumbled under his breath. But his father heard him perfectly.

"Is there something going on with you and Piccolo?" Goku asked, concerned about his son's feelings and able to clearly see that mention of the Namekian warrior affected him. He probably wasn't the most qualified person to give relationship advice, especially since his love life was such a mess.

"Well, we had another argument. He can be so damned stubborn at times. I know he wants to be with me, but he's too afraid that it won't work out. How the hell would he know if he refuses to even try?" Gohan said.

Gohan's statement caught Goku off guard. He realized that his son's situation was a lot like his and Vegeta's. Goku wondered if he was being as stubborn toward the prince's advances as Piccolo was being toward his son. He didn't think that he was. He just didn't want to be vulnerable. That wasn't a cop out was it? He had a legitimate reason for refusing Vegeta…didn't he?

"Well, who are you going out with tonight?" Goku asked, wanting to avoid the subject he'd been pondering.

Gohan thought about Ian. He couldn't replace Piccolo, but he at least got his mind off the green man every once in a while. And not to mention he was sexy, and great in the sack. Of course he wasn't about to share all of that with his father.

"Oh he's just a good friend. We go out sometimes, hang out…you know just pass time. It helps me keep my mind off Piccolo." Gohan said, leaving it at that.

Goku thought about what Gohan had just said. Would Vegeta find someone else to keep his mind off of him? What would he do if that happened? Goku became depressed at the thought. Maybe he was being too harsh in rejecting Vegeta. But he still couldn't shake his need to protect himself from vulnerability. He had allowed himself to trust Chichi, and she'd walked all over him. He just didn't think he could allow the same thing with Vegeta. And the man was just so damned dangerous. Vegeta could hurt him far worse than Chichi ever could. And not just mentally this time, but physically as well.

Goku shook his head. _'No, I can't allow myself to be that vulnerable.'_ He thought.

"Dad? You okay?" Gohan asked breaking the silence that had spread between them.

"Yeah, just thinking." He said.

Gohan watched his father for a few more moments, hoping that his father really was okay before he stood and pushed his chair in. "Well, dad I really need to get going. Call me if you need anything." Gohan added.

"Okay." He replied and watched his son leave through the back door. When the latch clicked, he suddenly felt desperately alone.

------00------

The weekend flew by as usual, and Monday found everyone back on the same old grind. Bulma watched Gohan chat with Ian at the conference table in her office. They were the only three left in the room after the meeting that had just adjourned. She'd noticed that they had become a bit cozy, but she didn't comment on it. Gohan was an adult and could make decisions for himself. She thought it was ashamed though that he hadn't been able to resolve his issues with Piccolo. They would have made such a good couple. _'Just like Vegeta and Goku.'_ She thought.

"Gohan stay for a minute." Bulma said.

Ian took the cue and left the office, closing the door behind them and leaving the two old friends alone.

"How has your father been doing lately?" She asked.

"Well, he says that he's fine, but I'm not really convinced. Something still seems off with him." He added thinking back to a few nights ago when he'd stopped by.

Bulma thought back to her conversation with Vegeta more than a week ago. She'd urged him to be more persistent in trying to catch Goku, but apparently he hadn't taken her advice. _'Stubborn bastard.'_

Maybe she should take things into her own hands. Prod them along a bit. Of course she didn't tell this to Gohan. She wanted to talk to Goku first and see if she could get him and Vegeta to at least talk to one another again. Bulma thought for a moment and then smiled deviously. She knew the perfect way to do it.

"I've been meaning to get over there to see about him for myself. I think I'll go see him this afternoon." The blue-haired woman added.

"That's a good idea. He seemed lonely when I went to see him. I'm sure he'd love a visit from you."

------00------

It had started out to be one of those days where you get up really late then loaf around in pajamas all day though with the intention that you're going to get dressed and really start the day at any minute. Of course you never do and by 6:00 you realize it's pointless to get dressed now since it's so late in the day. Though it hadn't actually been raining, the cloud-blotted sky hindered the sun's warming rays and made everything feel dreary.

Goku padded barefoot across the cool wooden floors to answer the incessant pounding at his back door.

"Bulma? What brought you all the way up here on a day like this?" He asked as he swung the door open for his friend.

"Well it's nice to see you too Goku." She said taking in her friend's haggard appearance and wrinkled pajamas. After stomaching Vegeta's less than cordial behavior for the better part of a week and finding out from Gohan that her friend wasn't faring any better, she decided that she'd intervene in the situation if for nothing more to bring a little peace into her own house. Not to mention that she was a busybody.

He let her in the house and offered her a seat at the kitchen table, as he stood propped against the sink.

"So Goku, will you be ready this weekend?" She asked.

Confusion flashed across his face. "Ready for what?"

Bulma smiled. "I figured you'd forget with everything that's been going on lately. It's a good thing I thought to get you ready myself."

"Bulma, what are you talking about?"

"Capsule Corp's annual product premier and charity gala. You know…the one we sponsor every year."

"Is it time for that already?"

He'd always gone to the gala before, mainly for the free food and to make Chichi happy. Besides, it was always a lot of fun to see who would win the charity raffle for a complete set of CC's newest product line which he knew would include some of Gohan's designs this year. But it had completely slipped his mind.

"Well Bulma…I don't know about it this year." Vegeta might be there and he just wasn't ready to face the other man so soon.

Bulma knew exactly why Goku was being apprehensive. She could practically read the hesitation on his expressive face. But in actuality that was her whole reason for trying to get him to come to this party. Vegeta and Goku just seemed so perfect for one another. Bulma was by far one of the most open-minded people and the fact that they were both men wasn't even on her mind. Apparently it wasn't an issue with Vegeta either. She wondered if it were an issue with her long-time friend. She wanted to talk to him about it, but thought that maybe it would be best broached subtly. Gohan was right. Goku seemed to be in a fragile mental state, though she could only guess why.

"How have you been feeling Goku?" She asked changing the subject completely.

"I'm doing okay."

"Goku…I'm concerned about you. I've been your friend for a really long time and you know that you can talk to me about anything right?" Goku nodded.

"Tell me…honestly. What's going on with you? How are you holding up since…" She stopped short of saying it. Trying to gauge his emotions by the look on his face. She had to make sure first and foremost that it wasn't his ex-wife that was giving him grief.

"…since Chichi left me." He finished for her, taking a seat across from her at the table.

"Don't worry Bulma. I think I'm over that now. It's not as bad as it was in the beginning. Really it's not that bad at all. I have more freedom and its much more peaceful around here. But on the other hand…" He trailed off.

"On the other hand what?" She prodded. Now she was getting somewhere.

He chewed on his bottom lip, not sure if he wanted to admit this to anyone, but not really seeing a reason not to. If anyone would understand, it was Bulma. "On the other hand it's a bit lonely around here now. I know my kids have lives of their own, and I don't want to impose on them more than I already do. But sometimes…sometimes I wish it were more than just me and four walls. You know?"

Bulma nodded. "Yeah, I do know Goku. But you know that it doesn't have to be that way. You're welcome at Capsule Corp. any time, day or night."

"I know, but it's not the same."

Bulma sighed. She didn't know any other way but to be blunt. "I understand what you mean Goku. But what I don't understand is if you're so lonely, then why did you push Vegeta away?"

Goku couldn't hide his shock. Where had this line of questioning come from? "Kami Bulma, you know about that?" Goku couldn't believe that the ouji had told Bulma what happened between the two of them.

"Yeah, I do Goku. But don't blame Vegeta. He didn't have to say a word for me to know. I could read it in his actions. I have known both of you too long to not see the obvious feelings that you two have for one another. So tell me. Why did you reject him?"

"I…I" He stammered to form a coherent thought.

Vegeta was of the opinion that Goku was afraid of him, though he didn't really say why he thought that. It was plausible, but Bulma wanted to hear it from Goku. "Come on Goku. I've known you for far too long, and I know how you feel. So why did you push him away?"

Goku looked her in the eye. She wanted the truth, and not some half-assed excuse. That would never get passed her insightfulness anyway. He raked his hands through his hair in a calming motion and thought before answering.

"I've been thinking about that a lot lately myself. I'd like to say that I've never even allowed myself to entertain the thought of the two of us together in any way other than friendship. Somehow it just seems like a dangerous prospect to place us together with our power and virtual opposite personalities. But it wouldn't be true. I am attracted to Vegeta in the worst way. It goes beyond the raw sex appeal. It's much more profound than anything so superficial. Even before Chichi left me I could feel it. So I know it's not just some confused rebound emotions. I have fantasized about being with him on more than one occasion. The main reason I enjoyed sparring so much was out of a desire to be near him. The only times since Chichi left that I wasn't so lonely was on those nights that we spent just talking to one another over dinner."

That's what Bulma had thought, but still it didn't answer the fundamental question. "So what's the problem Goku?"

Goku took a deep breath. He knew what the problem was, but he didn't know how to resolve it. He didn't know if it could even be resolved.

"I entertained the idea of us together when I was with Chichi because it was just a fantasy that I knew would never happen because I'd never be unfaithful to my wife. But now that she's out of the picture and he has expressed interest I don't know if I'm brave enough. In all honesty Bulma, the thought of being in a relationship like that with Vegeta scares the shit out of me. I don't want to be vulnerable to someone that could hurt me, and has on many occasions expressed a profound desire to do so."

'_So Vegeta was right after all. Goku is afraid of him.'_ She thought. But she knew that Goku really didn't have any reason to be afraid. Vegeta would just as soon cut off his own hand than to hurt Goku.

"Vegeta cares greatly for you Goku. He cares for us all, though he'd be hard pressed to show it most of the time. But for you he made an exception and dropped his pride. Whether you know it or not you hold a special place in his heart. In all the years that I've known Vegeta, I can count on one hand the number of times he called me by name. As a matter of fact he has never really addressed anyone by name. It's always the cueball, the pervert, the Namek, the brat, the half-breed, or the pathetic loser ningen."

Goku smiled as a picture of each one of their friends flashed through his mind along with Vegeta's pet monikers for them.

"But you Goku. You have always been Kakarrot. At first I think it was out of reverence for your race, but I honestly think that it has grown into more than mere reverence. There's a kind of passion in the way he says your name. Unlike anything that he has ever uttered before. I have never heard anything more passionate from him."

Goku had never thought of it that way before.

"Besides Goku, all of those idle threats are in the past. They can't hurt you now if you don't allow them. Vegeta is not that same man that he was and he wouldn't hurt you now. Not you. His one desire."

Goku was near tears. Was he really willing to push Vegeta away? He thought about Gohan and Piccolo. Could he live with himself if he pushed Vegeta into the arms of another? "I know it in my heart Bulma, but I can't get it through my head. My mind is screaming danger warnings at me."

Bulma smiled. "And since when have you, Son Goku, listened to the danger warnings from your brain?"

Goku smiled. His first genuine, weight-off-my-shoulders smile in ages. That seemed to melt away some of the tension he'd been feeling. Maybe he was making a federal case out of nothing.

"Maybe you're right."

"Of course I am. So will you consider giving him a chance?"

Goku nodded. "I'll consider it."

"Good, and will you consider coming to the premier? Gohan wouldn't want you to miss his debut, and I'd certainly miss you if you weren't there this year. You are, after-all, my oldest and dearest friend."

Bulma always did know how to turn on the charm. "Since you put it that way Bulma, how could I resist."

The blue-haired woman smiled and clapped her hands together in victory. "Great…my tailor will be over at three to take your measurements."

Goku's face paled. "What? Why?"

"Because Goku…though I absolutely looove your orange gi, I don't think it, or any of your other clothes, are appropriate for a semi-formal affair."

"But Bulma…" he whined. He really didn't want to dress in a suit. He absolutely loathed restrictive clothes.

"Don't worry about it Goku. I promise it won't be anything too formal."

"Alright." He agreed. He never could deny her anything.

Bulma smiled to herself. She'd see those two together if it killed her. Now all she had to do was return to Capsule Corp. and convince Vegeta to come to see Goku without stepping on his pride. Boy did she have her hands full.

------tbc-------

A/N: I'm pleased with this chapter. Next chapter should have some action in it. It's about half done now, but I'm such a perfectionist so I meticulously check over all of my words carefully to make sure they convey my true meaning. Maybe I should loosen up a bit.

Anyway, be sure to let me know what you think about the chapter. Oh and that stuff on longitude/latitude. Just use your imaginations.

Kaineko(at)hotmail(dot)com


	12. When It Rains 11

**Warnings, disclaimers and such: **Thanks to all my reviewers from last chapter. I must say, I was a bit disappointed that I received so few, but to those that did review I really appreciate it. I almost started to scrap this story, since it takes some much time (that I really don't have) to write one of these chapters and to receive so few replies. But I decided that I wouldn't do that to the people that have so graciously reviewed. Thanks again.

There is a bit of drama and a tad bit of violence in this chapter, but then the whole story has been pretty angsty (not a real word). So anyway, enjoy.

**When it Rains  
By: Kaineko**

_Chapter 11…_

Bright blue eyes scanned the city below from within the top floor office of one of the largest structures in downtown West City. It was Friday afternoon, and Bulma really had too much work left before the premier tonight. This was not just one of the most important annual premiers for her company, but it was also her chance to help her friends resolve whatever issues they had so that they didn't miss out on the chance of a lifetime. Bulma sighed..._'I guess I'm just a romantic at heart.'_ Before she could travel any further down that thought path the intercom on her desk buzzed, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Yes Ian?"

"Bulma, I'm about to leave for the afternoon to get ready for the premier tonight. Is there anything else that you need me to do before I go?"

Bulma had given him half a day off to prepare for the product exhibit and press conference. She really could still use him at the office, but she'd have to make due without him. Well there was one thing…

"Before you leave I need you to call and confirm the order with our caterers. I made a last minute increase to the order, and I want to make sure everything is running smoothly."

She'd finally succeeded in talking Vegeta into coming, and with him and Goku as well as the demi-Saiyans; she knew it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Okay. Anything else?"

"One more thing. Call Ramill's and find out what time they'll be delivering an order to Son Goku in the East district prefecture. I need to call him and make sure he stays put."

The line was silent for a moment. Bulma almost thought they'd lost their connection until Ian spoke up.

"I'll get right on it." He said before the connection actually was severed. Had they been in the same room, Bulma would have felt a chill from the malicious smile that spread on Ian's lips.

Ian left Capsule Corp shortly after he'd finished his tasks. He had a lot to do and only a little time to do it. He picked up his cellphone deftly dialing the number while darting through traffic.

Randall's voice came on the other end. "Hello."

"Hey, listen there's been a slight change of plans." He said.

"Exactly how slight is slight." Randall asked.

Ian chuckled. "You know me too well… I've moved the date up to today. The perfect opportunity to carry out the plan just presented itself and I can't possibly pass it up."

"Okay what's the plan?"

"There's a delivery scheduled to Goku for 5:00 from Ramill's. It's an upscale tailor on South Second Street. Intercept it and deliver it yourself. Use this as your opportunity."

"Okay, I got it. Don't worry, I know what to do." Randall said before the connection was severed.

------00------

Goku sat watching TV, trying to calm his nerves. He wasn't really paying attention but the warm glow and chattering voices were a welcome change to the typical quiet loneliness. Bulma had said that the tailor would be there with his clothes at 5pm. In the meantime all he could do was wait. At least he'd already showered so he wouldn't have to do anything but slip on his clothes and leave. The drive from his mountain home into the city would take a little over an hour, but he didn't think Bulma would be too pleased if he simply flew over in his expensive clothes. Chichi always yelled at him for that, saying that by the time he arrived anywhere he smelled like outdoors, whatever that meant. Of course he could always IT himself closer to the city and then drive the rest of the way, but he didn't want to get there too early.

As much as he hated to admit it he was petrified. Could he really go through with seeing Vegeta again after what happened the last time? Goku had thought about Vegeta's offer as he'd promised Bulma he would. He'd never meant to hurt the prince, he'd just been so stunned by the whole situation. Ironically, he'd always felt so comfortable around Vegeta except for that night when he'd kissed him. And even then his body had responded to Vegeta's touch in a way that it had never responded to anything else. Vegeta was able to bring out the extremes in him and in many ways he liked it even if it did leave him frazzled. Suddenly he was brought from his thoughts by a rapid knocking at his door.

'_Good, the tailor made it on time.'_ He thought.

Goku opened the door to greet an average build man with short brown hair and round wire-rimmed glasses covering translucent hazel eyes. He held a burgundy garment bag in one hand and a small box under his arm.

"Is this the Son residence?"

"Yes I'm Son Goku."

"I have a delivery from Ramill's. May I?" He asked indicating that he wanted to bring the items inside.

"Oh sure." Goku said allowing the man to come inside. He took the clothes and box from the man, hanging the garment bag over the door.

"I'm new to all this." Goku said. "My friend had these clothes made for me." He said chattering away nervously.

The deliveryman smiled. "Why don't you try on the clothes and I'll make any last minute adjustments."

"Oh, okay."

Goku took the bag into the other room, and several minutes later he came back dressed in a very comfortable black suit.

"Hey it feels pretty good." Goku told the tailor.

"I think that the collar needs a little adjustment in the back, turn around and I'll fix it right up." The man added.

Goku did as the man requested. He shivered as the tailor's cold fingers brushed against the exposed skin of his neck. For some reason he suddenly felt very uncomfortable, though he couldn't explain why.

"You know I think, it's fine." Goku said.

"Just one more adjustment." The man added.

Suddenly Goku felt a sharp pain as something pierced the skin of his neck. He grabbed his neck in pain and spun around clumsily to see what had happened.

"What did you do?" He slurred, trying to see straight, but everything was spinning wildly out of control.

"Just relax." The man said. "Everything will take effect in a moment."

Goku grabbed for the man standing in front of him, but his balance was off. "What the hell did you do to me…?"

The man just sidestepped the Saiyan's grab and smiled. It was the last thing that Goku was aware of before total darkness.

------00------

Bulma noticed Vegeta's foul mood from across the crowded room. She'd been too busy before greeting and schmoozing to really focus on him. Now that there was a slight lull in her activities she could check on him.

Vegeta was standing in the back corner of the ballroom on a slightly raised platform. From his vantage point he could see the entire room including every entrance and exit. Though the room was absolutely huge and teaming with a sea of people, he was sure that Goku hadn't appeared yet. Nearly every one of those pathetic losers was there though, some mingling with the crowd, others congregated in the bar area. It never ceased to amaze him, the kind of people the woman called friends. Pushing that thought aside he tried to focus on his previous thoughts. Mainly where Goku could be. That was the only reason that he'd come. Bulma had practically forced him to come saying that Goku would be here and that he wanted to see him to clarify some things. At first he'd vehemently refused to see the man that had flatly rejected him. His pride was at stake after all. But he couldn't deny the desire to see Goku again and perhaps find out why he was so afraid of him.

"Hey Vegeta. What's going on? Where's Goku?"

"You tell me onna. I haven't seen him all night."

Bulma looked at her watch. He should have been there ages ago. It was nearly time for the food to be put up and the actual product presentation to start. If he didn't show soon, he'd definitely miss all the food.

"That's odd. I can't imagine what could be keeping him. When I called him this afternoon, he said he'd drive over after the tailor delivered his clothes."

"He better hurry up. I can't stomach too much more of this nonsense."

Bulma became a little worried about her friend. Though it wasn't unheard of for Goku to be absentminded, she was sure that he wouldn't deliberately not show to something this important.

"Well, I'm going to look around a bit and see if any of the guys have seen him."

Vegeta shrugged. It was useless, he knew for a fact that Goku hadn't been there, but if she wanted to ask around, he wasn't going to stop her.

As Bulma made her way through the throngs of people, she spotted her assistant near the entrance surrounded by several of the ladies from Research and Development. She'd heard that they started a little wager to see which one could catch his attention first. The poor fools. It seemed that Ian liked boys, apparent from his closeness with Gohan. But they could try she supposed.

"Hey Ian. I see you finally made it. You look really good."

"Thanks Bulma. So do you."

Bulma stifled a snicker as the other women eyed her with contempt.

------00------

Yamcha was standing across the room talking with Krillen, Tien, and Master Roshi when he spotted the familiar blue of Bulma's hair from the corner of his eye. He frowned as he noticed her chatting animatedly with some guy who could undoubtedly charm the panties off any woman. He'd secretly been biding his time to try and reconcile his lost relationship with the CC heiress since she and Vegeta had called it quits ages ago. But maybe he'd waited too long and some other man had stepped in to fill the void.

"What's up Yamcha?" Tien asked noting his friend's sudden inattentiveness to the conversation. When he didn't respond, everyone followed his line of sight transfixed on their long-time friend.

Krillen laughed, "If you're feeling that jealous, why not go and butt into their conversation."

"Huh?"

Yamcha turned beet red as he realized that they were all laughing at his expense. "Nah, I was just wondering who that guy was."

They really couldn't see who Bulma was talking to. He was turned slightly away from them and only his profile could really be seen.

"Beats me. Probably just some business associate."

"Probably, but I think I'll go introduce myself." Yamcha said walking off with obvious intentions.

"That guy'll never change huh Master Roshi?" Krillen kidded. But the old man didn't respond. Instead the old turtle hermit's attention was riveted toward Bulma as well.

'_He looks so familiar…where have I seen him before?'_

He was brought out of his thoughts as Tien nudged him. "Not you too Master. You know Bulma would kill you if she caught you staring like that."

Master Roshi hid his uneasy feeling. "Haha, yeah you're right. She's too intimidated by my manly prowess." He joked.

"Intimidated huh? More like repulsed." Krillen whispered to Tien who laughed behind his hand.

Master Roshi glanced back toward the Blue-haired woman. Yamcha now stood completely blocking his view from the man Bulma had been talking to. Master Roshi just shrugged. It really wasn't that important he thought before rejoining the conversation.

------00------

"Hey babe, how's it going?" Yamcha asked as he sidled next to Ian and Bulma, effectively butting into their conversation.

Bulma smiled to herself. Yamcha was so obvious. He only called her babe when he felt jealous. Typical, she thought. She could only get his attention when he thought that someone else might be getting close to her.

"Hey Yamcha." She said noticing the mistrusting look he was casting at Ian, who just smiled in return, also able to see Yamcha's intentions.

Bulma decided that she could humor the man a bit and so she introduced the two men. "Ian, this is my old friend, Yamcha. Yamcha this is my assistant Ian."

"Your assistant. You never told me you found a new one." Yamcha said.

"I did. You just didn't pay any attention."

"Oh. Well nice to meet you." Yamcha said extending his hand which Ian took. He was really only being pleasant.

"Likewise."

The two men made more small talk before Bulma cut in, remembering that she'd been looking for Goku.

"Hey Yamcha, have you seen Goku?"

Yamcha didn't have to think about it. "No, I haven't seen him. Why?"

"Oh, its just that he said he was coming and I was hoping he hadn't forgotten. Maybe I should check with the other guys. Maybe someone else saw him." Bulma said.

"Your best bet is to check with Gohan or Goten. I've been talking with Krillen, Tien and Master Roshi pretty much all night so they probably haven't seen him either."

"I'll try to find one of them." Bulma said.

Neither one noticed Ian's demeanor change as they continued talking. He glanced in the general direction that Yamcha had come from. Sure enough, there was Krillen and Tien talking with Master Roshi.

'_Damn!'_ He hadn't anticipated this. He just assumed that the old man would be dead by now, or at the very least wouldn't be associated with Bulma or CC. Ian cursed his own sloppiness. Suddenly Roshi looked in his direction catching his eye for a moment. Ian quickly turned his head hoping that he hadn't been recognized, but feeling like he most likely had been.

'_Shit. This changes everything.'_

He quickly turned to Bulma. "If you'll excuse me Bulma, I just remembered there's something I need to do."

"Oh, yeah sure." She said and watched as he left.

------00------

Master Roshi only rejoined the conversation half-heartedly. Something felt wrong… If he had any hair, it would have been standing on end. His sixth sense told him that he was being watched. He turned his head at the strange impulse and immediately caught sight of Bulma's blue hair as she talked to Yamcha. Just as quickly his eyes caught the stranger again, only this time the man was looking at him in return. He watched as the stranger quickly turned back toward Bulma and said something before leaving.

'_Where do I know him from…?'_ Roshi thought. _'Those eyes…They look so famil…wait. No, that can't be right… He looks just like an older version of… But he's dead.'_

Roshi looked up again to see the man disappear through the south entrance.

"Dear Kami!" He said, catching the attention of all those around him. He quickly ran toward the same exit, stumbling over people as he went.

"Musta been some hot babe to get old Roshi moving like that." Krillen commented.

------00------

Ian started his car and pulled out his cellphone all in one motion. As he took off from the convention center he dialed a familiar number.

"Yeah?" Came the reply on the other end.

"Randall. Look we've got a little problem. I didn't factor in the old man, Roshi."

"Factor him in? What happened?"

"He saw me, and I'm sure he recognized me."

"Shit, Ian. I knew something was going to go wrong. Nothing ever goes perfectly."

"Don't worry."

"What do you mean 'don't worry'? This changes everything." He said, unknowingly echoing Ian's earlier thought.

"Look, the plan is still salvageable. Just don't lose your cool now."

"Well, what do you plan on doing?" Ian asked.

Silence for a moment as Ian quickly reworked a few things. "Can you initiate the transfers tonight?"

"Yeah, but once they find out that Goku's missing, it'll only be a matter of time before they put two and two together."

"Then go ahead and take care of that. I'll get the last piece to finish this and I'll see you later tonight. Just have everything ready when I get there."

"Just don't screw this up Ian." Randall added.

"Stop worrying. This will all be worth it in the end." Ian said before he ended the call.

------00------

Vegeta watched the commotion unfold across the room as Roshi shoved his way through the crowd, unsettling drinks and pissing people off.

"What the hell?"

He'd never seen the old man move so fast. As he watched Roshi make a mad dash for the doors a thought crossed his mind. He'd been meaning to corner the old coot and demand to know what he was hiding about Goku. He didn't really know what had frazzled Roshi, but he really didn't care. What he did care about was that maybe the man could shed some light on Goku, help him figure out the puzzle.

Vegeta stepped off the platform he'd been standing on and made his way to the exit with decidedly more grace than the old master. He caught up to the panting man in the parking lot mumbling to himself.

"I must be seeing things. I just don't believe this…"

"Believe what?" Vegeta asked startling him.

"Oh Vegeta. Nothing. I just thought I saw someone I knew a long time ago."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes watching the sweat bead on the old man's face. He scrutinized Roshi's nervous behavior and equally appalling scent before deciding to let it slide. He knew he was holding something back again, but this situation hardly concerned him. Instead he wanted to know about Goku.

"Whatever. Look I want to know what it is you're hiding about Kakarrot."

Roshi shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bullshit. The other day when you to gave us that crap story about Kakarrot's personality changing because he hit his head… I know you weren't telling the truth. So what I want to know is what are you hiding?"

To the turtle hermit's credit, he didn't allow Vegeta to intimidate him. Instead he started back to the party. "Vegeta, I really don't know what you're talking about. It's all as I said before."

Vegeta followed Master Roshi back into the building, still not convinced, but not able to threaten the information from him either. When they entered the room, Vegeta followed Roshi toward where Bulma and Yamcha were standing talking. When the genius saw him she fumed.

"What's wrong with you pushing through the crowd like that? Thanks to you I have several cleaning bills coming for spilled drinks and ruined clothes." Bulma fumed.

Roshi ignored her ranting. "Bulma, who was that you were talking to?" He asked.

The seriousness in his tone was enough to make her forget her anger. "My assistant…why?"

"It's just that…"

Before he could finish one of the program directors ran up to Bulma carrying a clipboard and looking frantic.

"Ms. Briefs, the presentation should have started 5 minutes ago. Were have you been?"

"Oh man. Sorry. I'll see you guys in a bit." Bulma said running off with the lady.

"Wait, answer my question." Roshi called out, but Bulma was already out of earshot.

"Damn! Yamcha do you know that guy's name?"

"Um…she introduced me, but I wasn't really paying attention. Why, what's going on?"

"Nothing." He said not offering more. If his suspicions weren't correct he didn't want to open up a topic that was better left unvoiced. "I just need to talk to Bulma as soon as she gets finished."

Vegeta turned toward the stage where Bulma had finally started her presentation of CC's new technology. He was pissed that he couldn't intimidate any information from Roshi, and still anxious that Goku hadn't shown up. But surely if he waited around these fools for a little while, when Goku did actually show up he'd be sure to spot him.

------00------

Revenge is a great motivator, however destructive it may be. At times the very thought of its sweetness was the only thing that kept him drawing breath, and its destructiveness is what he sought. He'd been patient, biding his time, planning, preparing, and now all of that was about to pay off. He'd repay Goku 100…1000 times for what he'd done. The bastard would know no mercy, as Ian had known none. Only pain, fear, loneliness, and betrayal. He would die by his hands, but not until he'd paid. Goku would not be merely broken, but ultimately, irreversibly shattered.

Ian pulled his car into the parking garage of the Lakefront Condos and got out. Goku's sins would be visited upon his family as well. No one would escape Ian's dangerous wrath. They were all guilty by fucking association. By the mere fact that they brought that fucker happiness. But Ian's hate was a powerful distorter, able to mutilate their feelings, simply by manipulating their pitifully selfish minds. He'd already corrupted Chichi, taken her from Goku and manipulated her into leaving him destitute. He'd had Gohan, and could only imagine the naïve boy's guilt when he found out that he'd given himself so freely to the man that only wanted to destroy his father. Too bad he hadn't had the chance to get to Goten…the near carbon copy of his father. That son of a bitch Briefs hung around him too tough. But it was enough to Ian that he'd destroyed Goku's family. The youngest boy would never be able to forgive the older and the older would never forgive himself. Things for the Sons were thoroughly fucked and would never be healed. All ironically accomplished with a healthy contribution from the fool's best friend Bulma.

Everything was weaving together beautifully like a well-written song even though it wasn't exactly as he planned. Ian never was one to let slight hitches stop him from his ultimate goal. He'd been waiting too long for this, and he was so fucking close that he could taste it. Tonight would be the culmination of years of preparation and scheming and he'd once again wield power to dominate the one person that, more than any, deserved his contempt.

------00------

Chichi reached over and grabbed the phone on her nightstand.

"Hello."

"Hey Chi."

Chichi smiled as Ian's voice sounded on the other end.

"Were you sleeping?" He asked.

Chichi sat all the way up in bed, resting her back against the headboard and letting her book fall in her lap.

"Oh, no…actually I was just reading. How are things going there, I haven't heard from you in a few days?" Chichi said. It had actually been about a week since she'd last heard from her lover, because he'd been out of town on business. So his call was unexpected.

"Actually, I'm back in town. Things went more smoothly than expected, so I wrapped up early. I left right after my last meeting and my plane just landed. I can't wait until morning to see you."

Chichi smiled into the phone. She'd never had anyone so anxious to see her. "Well, are you coming over?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm less than an hour away from your house now, can you be ready when I get there?"

"Ready? Ready for what?" She asked.

"I want to take you somewhere. I have a little surprise, and I just can't wait for you to see it. After that we can go have a late dinner. I know a great little restaurant where they play live jazz late into the night."

"Oh, well, I thought you just wanted to come over for a while."

Ian could hear the hesitation in her voice so he put on the charm. "Well, I want to do something special for you. I haven't seen you in so long…I really missed you."

How could she refuse such an offer? And it wasn't even that late, she reasoned glancing at her bedside clock.

"Okay, I'll be ready." She said, already swinging her legs out of bed and walking toward her closet with the phone still cradled to her ear.

"Then I'll see you in a while." He said before he hung up.

An hour passed seemingly in minutes, but Chichi had managed to go from ready for bed to ready for fun without a hitch. Quickly she smoothed the spaghetti strapped emerald green dress that clung closer to her curves than her own skin and left absolutely nothing to the imagination. She had found she liked it that way, feeling more attractive and feminine than matronly and utilitarian like in her old clothes. Her silky ebony locks were partly pinned up with a great bulk of it falling down between her shoulder blades, caressing the bare skin of her exposed back. All in all, she was a beauty to behold.

She was startled as the sound of the doorbell chimed throughout the apartment. Chichi looked at herself in the mirror one last time before she answered the door.

"My kami Chi…" Ian said. "You don't just look like an angel, you look like heaven itself."

Chichi felt her cheeks heat at his words. He was exceptionally romantic. At times it was almost overwhelming.

"Thanks Ian, you look rather sexy yourself." She said noting the tailored suit he must have worn to his last meeting.

He smiled. "You ready?"

She nodded grabbing her purse and heading out the door. Chichi smiled at the night watchman, Peter she thought his name was, as she left the building in Ian's arms. It was already past 10 and the thrill of leaving so late washed over her in a giddying rush. Damn, it felt good to be carefree. Even something so simple as a late night date caused her to soar with exhilaration. They got into Ian's car and quickly left heading away from Lakeland.

The ride was smooth, the only sound coming from the soft music playing through the radio. Chichi settled more comfortably in her seat, enjoying the peaceful drive. She leaned her head against the window taking in the sights that surrounded her. What she could see of the city from the expressway that circled it seemed to go by in a dizzying blur. Flashes of city lights and dense evening traffic slowly morphed to rolling hills, crowded trees and sparse travelers. Chichi didn't realize until then that they were headed outside of the city. Though it seemed a bit odd to her that this place was so far out, she didn't mention it at first. But as the tree line grew denser and the only illumination was that afforded by the pale moonlight, Chichi's curiosity grew.

"Uh Ian… Exactly where are we going again?" She asked.

There was a stretch of silence between them before he spoke.

"We're almost there." He said not offering more.

Moments later they exited the expressway and drove a little ways down a lonely country road before turning off onto a narrow side road that Chichi would never have even noticed. The road was old and she could tell rarely used by the thick canopy of trees that hung low, almost touching the car at times and completely blocking out the moonlight. It was so dark that she could barely see anything in front of them even with the high beams on. Again she questioned their destination and again he assured her that it was just a little further.

"You trust me don't you?" Ian asked.

"Well, yes…but."

"Then don't worry about it. Everything is fine."

Less than 10 minutes later they drove into a large clearing in the middle of what Chichi could only describe as the woods. There was a large multi-story building made almost entirely of faded gray concrete situated in the middle of the clearing. A swift river ran along behind the building, nearly invisible in the darkness save for the slight shimmer of the moon's reflection on the surface.

Glancing over at Ian, she watched as he got out of the car, walked around to the other side and helped her out.

"Ian, exactly where are we?" She asked.

"Come on, I have a surprise for you." He said encapping his car after she was out of the way.

She looked at her surroundings. Chichi could say with some certainty that the building looked abandoned. Even with the poor lighting she noticed large tufts of grass growing in the cement cracks of the parking lot indicating that the space hadn't been heavily used in quite a while.

"Are you sure this is safe? I mean it just feels so…" She trailed off not able to describe the weird feeling.

"I'm positive." He said grabbing her hand and trying not to let his exasperation leak into his voice. They entered the building through the solitary set of heavy metal doors and walked slowly down a poorly lit hallway. It was closed-in and dungeon-like in its coldness. Chichi suppressed an involuntary shiver. She didn't really know what was going on. Ian said that he wanted to show her something…a surprise of sorts. But she had no idea what could be so exciting in an old place like this. Then again, she had talked with him before about finding a large space to convert into an art studio and gallery for some of his clients. Could this old building possibly be what he had in mind? Granted Chichi wasn't an expert, but this seemed so far out of the way and utterly creepy. Surely this couldn't be it. But then what else could it be?

Relaxing a bit at the thought, she started to assess the area for its potential instead of only focusing on its overall dreariness.

Ian gripped her hand a little tighter as they continued their way down the long corridor. They stopped in front of another set of steel double doors.

"What I want to show you is in here." He said before pushing open the double doors.

------00------

No one had ever seen Roshi so unsettled. Not for anything as trivial as a lost girly magazine or as serious as the earth in jeopardy. Both of which were of the same magnitude to the old hermit. So it would go without saying that everyone congregated around him trying to figure out what had him so disturbed. Roshi looked toward the stage, not really listening to anything that Bulma was saying. Somehow they had all migrated backstage, waiting on Bulma to finish up. Trunks and Gohan had already joined the blue-haired woman onstage to help with the new JAI line that Gohan had been an intricate part of. Goten was standing just off from the stage watching the presentation.

Vegeta leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. "Boy, have you seen your father tonight?"

"Um…no." Goten offered. "I didn't know if he'd actually make it or not. It was always mom that dragged him to these things. He never actually came on his own."

Vegeta bristled at the mention of Chichi. He still didn't have any use for the bitch and felt the world would be a better place if she dropped off of it. He quickly covered his reaction by shrugging at the boy's comment. The group was relatively silent after that.

Suddenly Vegeta's acute senses picked up a faint, but familiar scent. He pushed himself off the wall and followed the cool scent of fresh spearmint to a little alcove around a corner from where they stood. He wasn't at all surprised at who he say standing there looking conspicuous with his large frame pushed into the small space.

"You know as big as you are, you should probably try hiding in a larger space." He said, not even trying to hide the smirk that played on his lips.

Piccolo scowled at the shorter man in front of him. "I am not hiding. I merely don't want to be seen." Piccolo retorted.

"That sure sounds like hiding to me."

Piccolo growled. Vegeta ignored it.

"What are you doing here anyway? I thought you hated these public gatherings." Vegeta asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Vegeta folded his arms, briefly thinking of the real reason he was there. Of course he wasn't about to admit that. "Well I'm here because the onna would nag the fuck out of me if I didn't come. And most times it's not worth the trouble to refuse her." Vegeta said. "But seeing as you don't have that same problem, I can only think of one reason…or should I say one demi-saiyan that could bring you out in a crowd."

Piccolo didn't reply simply because what Vegeta said was true. He had come to see Gohan. Even though their relationship was understatedly strained at the moment, he still wanted to support his young friend's efforts and this was important to Gohan. Vegeta's voice once again cut into his thoughts.

"You know, you may as well come out and suffer the presence of these humans with the rest of us. Not that I care, but you look pretty suspicious stuffed in that little cubby. So if your intention is to divert attention away from yourself, you're failing miserably."

As if to reiterate his words, someone walked by staring warily at the two men.

Vegeta simply smirked, then walked back around the corner. This time Piccolo was right behind him.

------00------

Chichi stood in confusion for a few tense moments before suddenly cringing in shock. Beyond the double doors was a large room; surprisingly well lit in comparison to the hall they'd just entered from. There were no windows in the cold gray room and not very much furniture considering the scale of the space. Only a few cabinets, some long tables, and a couple of chairs. But the décor wasn't what grabbed Chichi's attention. Instead it was the shock of familiar black hair on top of a head that she knew all too well. Lying on what appeared to be a waist-high table of sorts was none other than Goku. From her vantage point she could really only see the top of his head, but there was definitely no mistaking who it was. Was he unconscious?

"Ian?" She said a little uncertain as she took one step closer to the prone figure before stopping. This was so far from what she'd expected to see, it was mind numbing. Her usual confidence had all but deserted her at the sight.

"Surprise." Ian said from behind her causing her to turn around and stare at him. She'd never seen this particular look on his face. Cold, cruel, calculating, and oh so tauntingly sarcastic. He grabbed her hand and started pulling her farther into the room. On instinct she tried unsuccessfully to jerk her hand away.

"Come now Chi." He admonished. "None of that."

"What the hell is going on here!" She screeched, once again finding her voice.

"Well…" Ian started out as if he were merely discussing the weather. "Let's just put it this way. You're about to be party to a little…reunion of sorts. You're not the only person dear Goku here has rubbed the wrong way and I intend to have my revenge. You see, you were always just a pawn in my little game. Just one way to get back at Goku. But I must say, I did enjoy every minute of it." He said winking seductively.

Chichi narrowed her eyes, suddenly furious at being so blatantly used. She wanted Ian to pay for what he'd done. It was as she glanced at Goku again, that she noticed that he was chained securely to the table. Well, securely if he were a mere human. For the first time she was actually grateful for her husband's Saiyanity and her confidence returned tenfold.

"You know when he wakes up, you'll have hell to pay. Do you honestly think those chains are enough to hold him?" Chichi couldn't help but allow a little cockiness to leak through into her voice.

"Perhaps that would be true, if we hadn't taken a few preventative measures." Another voice said from behind her. Chichi whirled around as much as Ian's grasp on her wrist would allow her and came face to face with a man she'd never seen before.

"Who are you?"

"Ah me?" He said pointing to himself as if he needed to clarify. "No one really. Just someone with an interest in seeing Goku suffer."

Suddenly remembering what he'd said as he walked into the room chichi asked. "What exactly do you mean by preventative measures?"

"Aren't you just full of questions. Well, since you asked. The band on his head," he said indicating a thin black band wrapped like a second skin around Goku's head and weaved under his hair. "Let's just say it keeps our Saiyan in line."

Chichi gawked at his reference to Goku's race.

"Oh, don't think that we don't know what he is." Ian said causing the woman to face him again.

Chichi still didn't know why all of this was happening. This man that she'd thought she knew was not at all what he'd seemed. For whatever reason he'd kidnapped Goku…though she couldn't figure out how…and was holding him captive chained to a bed like some animal. And surely she was in danger as well. Suddenly jerking her arm away from Ian she stepped away from him and the other man, hiking up her dress a bit and crouching into a fighting stance.

Ian laughed. "Don't delude yourself, Chi."

"Bastard!" She snarled. "Don't presume me weak merely because I'm a woman!"

In the split second that it took for the comment to fully leave her mouth, Chichi went from standing, to finding herself pinned to a wall by Ian's hand around her throat. Her feet dangling inches off the ground. She dangled there shocked for a moment before she realized her position and started to struggle, trying to pry his fingers from around her neck.

"Really Chichi. You give yourself too much credit." Ian said. He held her there for a few more moments, applying slightly more pressure to her neck. It would certainly be bruised afterward. Just as she was sure she'd lose consciousness he released her to fall crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath.

Ignoring the woman before him, Ian turned to Randall. "How long before he wakes up?"

Randall glanced at his watch, calculating the last dosage of sedative he'd given the Saiyan.

"No more than a few hours tops."

Ian eyed Chichi, still lying on the floor. " Good. That gives me plenty of time to have a little fun with our other guest." He said bending forward and grabbing Chichi once again before dragging her, struggling feebly, through a side door.

------00------

Bulma was smiling brightly as they made their way off the stage. Everything had gone exceptionally well, with none of the little mishaps that normally plagued the unveiling of new technology such as malfunctions and product failures. Bulma was more than pleased.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" She asked her friends that were milling about next to the stage.

Roshi didn't waste any time. He had to know if his suspicion was correct. He grabbed her arm lightly, pulling her off the platform. Bulma would have complained if it weren't for the serious look that seemed somehow odd, on his face.

"Bulma is there somewhere we can talk?" He asked.

Bulma's heart was thumping in her chest. Something had to be wrong…Roshi wasn't acting himself.

"Yeah, sure. I think there's a little dressing area in the back."

They all followed her around the corner, equally curious to know what was going on.

"Okay, so what's this all about?" She asked once she'd closed the door behind her.

"Tell me…who was that man you were talking to?"

Bulma looked a bit confused.

"Right before the presentation." Roshi clarified.

"Well, he's my assistant." She answered wondering what was so special about that.

"Who, Ian Mori?" Trunks asked.

Master Roshi gasped at the name. _'Ian…after all these years I thought you were dead. To have you show up here…' _Roshi abruptly cut off his own train of thought.

"Hey, do you know the guy Master Roshi?" Yamcha asked.

Silence filled the air. Then tension was so thick it was almost choking. Roshi didn't answer right away, instead rubbing his eyes behind his glasses and plopping down in one of the chairs.

Vegeta started to speak, wanting to break the silence. He really wasn't interested in that pathetic human that worked for Bulma. He hadn't liked the man when he first met him, and not surprisingly his feelings hadn't changed. All he wanted to do was figure out a way to get Roshi to spill about what he knew about Goku. Little did the prince know that his wish was about to come true. However before he could say anything to speed up Roshi's dramatics, the old hermit started to speak again.

"When I saw him, I thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me. You know age catching up. But then when he looked at me and I saw recognition in his eyes…" He sighed.

"Yes, I knew him once. A very long time ago." Roshi said answering Yamcha's earlier question.

"But I knew him as Ian Son."

"Son? As in…?" Gohan started.

"Yes. Goku's older brother."

------tbc-------

A/N: I think it's a pretty good chapter. So now everyone knows who Ian is. Next chapter will be the explanation of Ian's hatred toward Goku and the long awaited meeting between Ian and Goku. (Uh Oh!)

Email me: Kaineko(at)hotmail(dot)com


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